Hungary will hold a parliamentary election on April 6, President Janos Ader announced in a statement on Saturday.
_0">Ader said it was in Hungary's interest to have a new parliament and government as soon as possible.
"It is a rightful expectation of Hungary's citizens that the election campaign should not be longer than necessary and justified," he added.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling center-right Fidesz party has a strong lead in opinion surveys over the leftist opposition.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Kevin Liffey)