Opposition Poll Shows Declining Support for Sanctions in Hungary

Even though the Hungarian left usually supports all sanctions against Russia, even those regarding energy that would badly hurt Hungary, polls conducted by opposition analysts show that the proportion of those who reject sanctions against Russia is increasing in Hungarian society, reported 24.hu.

According to the latest survey by Medián, a Hungarian think-tank linked to the left, 41 percent of respondents said they did not support sanctions three months after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war. In October, the figure was 52 percent.

The proportion of those who oppose sanctions is particularly high among Fidesz voters, with 81 percent of them opposing punitive measures against Russia.

The Medián survey also asked those who support sanctions what they would say if in return, Hungarian economic development slowed down and it became harder to make a living. In May, 35 percent said they were still in favor of sanctions, but by October this figure had fallen to 31 percent.

Besides party sympathy, education is also an important factor. Half of graduates support sanctions even at the cost of sacrifice, but this proportion is steadily decreasing in proportion to education. Among those with only eight years of primary education, only 15 per cent are in favor of sanctions with sacrifices.

The age of respondents should also be taken into account. While almost half of the youngest respondents support the measures, only a quarter of the older age group does.

In Hungary, the government recently announced the launching of a new national consultation regarding EU sanctions against Russia. According to the government, the European Union has never asked its citizens’ opinions regarding the sanctions, even though many people oppose it.

As Hungary Today reported earlier, a YouGov poll showed in October that while the majority of Western countries support tough action against Russia, the positions of Hungary, Italy, and Greece differ from the EU mainstream. Only 37 percent in Hungary and 32 percent in Greece were in favor of maintaining the sanctions, which is half of some western countries, reported The Guardian. Regarding the Russian sovereignty of Crimea, 31 of respondents in Greece, 28 percent in Hungary, and 23 percent in Italy favored recognizing it, even if Russia gave up none its new Ukrainian territories.

Furthermore, a recent German poll by RTL and NTV also showed that 57 percent of Germans think that the EU sanctions against Russia do more harm to Germany than to Russia.

Regarding Hungarians, according to a poll conducted by the Századvég Foundation last month, 83 percent of Hungarians believe that the already existing and planned sanctions could lead to a severe economic downturn in Europe by 2023.

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