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There is absolutely no electoral will behind the mandatory distribution of illegal immigrants based on solidarity, even in the EU member states whose leaders are the strongest supporters of the new Migration Pact, according to the Europe Project 2024 research by Századvég Foundation. The overwhelming majority of EU citizens do not agree with the Pact, with just under a quarter supporting it, reports Tényellenőr.
Hungary had until December 12, 2024 to submit a plan for implementing the Migration Pact to the European Commission. In January, EU Affairs Minister János Bóka said that despite the deadline, the Hungarian government had no plans to draw up an implementation plan. On the other hand, Manfred Weber, President of the European People’s Party, for instance, described the adoption of the document as a success, saying that “the migration pact that has been adopted is a huge success.” The Pact was also the subject of a coalition agreement between the EPP, the Socialist and Liberal groups in the European Parliament.
In the article, Tényellenőr has used Századvég research data to see how closely they coincide with the opinions of European and Hungarian people. Although the Migration Pact will only apply to Member States from 2026, the Europe Project survey shows that EU citizens disagree with its spirit and would rather focus on security and strengthening external borders.
Although only two countries, Hungary and Poland, voted against the whole package of legislation forming the Migration Pact in the European Council, the Europe Project survey reveals that the vast majority of EU and UK respondents (60%) have a negative view of the Pact’s achievements, while only 27% support it.
This means that social support for the Pact is only half as strong as opposition to it.
Although the negative perception of the Pact is more pronounced in the Central and Eastern European Member States, in general, even in the core Western countries that support the Pact at government level, those who oppose it are in absolute majority, with 57% rejecting it.
Among the EU member states, there is currently no country with a majority support for the Migration Pact. Sweden and Italy, which is considered the frontline country on the North African migration route, are the countries most divided by the measure, but the proportion of those who reject the Pact (42% and 47% respectively) in these Member States is also higher than the proportion of those who support it (33% and 35%). In Hungary, more than three quarters of those polled (85%) reject the Migration Pact.
Moreover, the rejection of the Pact is quite high among those countries that have previously supported migration. In Austria it is almost two-thirds, 65%, in Luxembourg, 63%, in Finland 60% and in France 62%.
It seems that the Hungarian model has become popular across Europe, with nearly three quarters (74%) of those polled in the EU saying that the EU’s external borders should be strengthened to prevent illegal immigration. Public opinion agrees most in countries where opposition to the migration pact is also high. In the Czech Republic 88%, in Poland 83%, in Hungary 84% and in France and Germany 77-77% want to strengthen border protection.
In several of the countries surveyed, the call for increased border protection is associated with a reduced sense of security among the population. In France and Sweden, which are under considerable migratory pressure, 30% of respondents ranked security as one of the most serious challenges.
Via Tényellenőr, Featured photo via Pixabay
