Steven N.
A new Opinio lightning poll on behalf of Euronews surveyed the views of Hungarians on the armed conflict in Ukraine and its consequences.
The results showed that public opinion is strongly divided on what constitutes armed conflict, as well as what Hungary’s proper course of action should be in the current situation. A majority of respondents, 58%, believe that Russia is responsible for the conflict.
But the largest point of agreement in the survey was on the issue of Hungary’s relationship with Russia. Opinio’s poll showed that 60% of Hungarians think that Hungary has gotten too close to Russia and Putin in the past few years, and that this is now preventing the country from taking stronger action on the part of the EU and Ukraine.
Seven out of ten respondents agree with not allowing arms shipments to pass through Hungary to Ukraine, while nearly a third of them say Hungary should not block any efforts to help the besieged country.
The survey also indicated that the educational background of the respondents influenced their perception of the conflict to an unusual degree. In general, the better educated the respondent, the more likely they were to say that Russia was responsible for the war, and that Hungary should do more to help out its war-torn neighbor to the northeast. [Magyar Hang]
Interesting public opinion poll. It appears that “fear” is still holding Hungarians back from even allowing defensive weapons to pass through Hungary to Ukraine (unlike some other nations bordering Ukraine and/or Russia). I understand the fear of being drawn into conflict, especially as a similar fear has tied Present Biden’s hands.
Nevertheless, the facts on the ground are changing daily (if not more frequently). Given that 60% of Hungarians now think “Hungary” (Orban regime) became too close to Putin regime in recent years, we may see some dramatic changes in public opinion in next week or so. The fact that 58% blame Putin for starting the war is another hopeful sign, especially given the Orban regime’s past & strong pro Putin propaganda. I hope these polls translate into votes against the Orban regime. Of course, MZP and opposition must avoid further stumbling.
New Publicus poll says two-thirds of Hungarians think Orbán serves Putin’s interests – details tomorrow!