World Bulletin / News Desk

Football stadiums and street lamps may seem unlikely obstacles for Hungary's strongman Viktor Orban, who looks set to win a third consecutive term as prime minister in April 8 elections.

However, allegations of fraud in the funding of such public projects have dogged his campaign.

Some voters have clearly turned against the government over the issue with posters bearing the government's slogan: "For us, Hungary comes first" being defaced to read "For us, money comes first".

Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs dismisses the claims, telling AFP: "Hungary has no major problems with corruption, we see that it is a political effort by the opposition trying to make it a major issue."

Compared more broadly, it has fallen behind Georgia and Montenegro to 66th place out of 180, its lowest ever ranking.

"Several examples from the past few years illustrate that those in power regard public funds in Hungary as their own," the organization says in its report, dismissed by Kovacs as politically motivated.