Analysis-Pre-election spending could haunt Hungary's Orban - or his successor

FILE PHOTO: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban leaves the stage after delivering his annual state of the nation speech in Budapest, Hungary, February 10, 2019. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A $5.35 billion spending spree by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of an election next week has left a budget hole that may spell trouble for whoever wins, as the conflict in Ukraine adds to pressure on the public finances.

With polls projecting the tightest race since his 2010 landslide, Orban has dished out 1.8 trillion forints worth of tax rebates, tax cuts, pension and wage hikes to support his bid for a fourth successive term.