Steven N.
Eight out of ten Hungarians believe that Russia had no legitimate right to attack Ukraine, according to a recent representative poll conducted by Publicus Institute after the outbreak of hostilities in Hungary’s northeastern neighbor.
Broken down by party, 91% of opposition voters do not think Russia had a legitimate right to attack Ukraine, while 64% of Fidesz voters feel the same way. A large majority of undecided voters, 72%, likewise did not think the attack was justified.
The poll also showed that 70% of respondents agreed at least somewhat that Russia had attacked Ukraine as the aggressor. This opinion was shared by 94% of those supporting the United for Hungary opposition list, 62% of undecided voters, and even a majority (56%) of Fidesz voters.
In addition, nearly every second person (47%) interviewed said that Viktor Orbán had pursued a pro-Russian foreign policy orientation at least somewhat over his past 12 years in power. This view was broadly shared by opposition-leaning voters, four out of ten undecided voters, and every fifth Fidesz supporter.
In terms of Hungary’s future foreign policy direction, 49% of Hungarians believe that in light of the current war between Russia and Ukraine, the country’s foreign policy should be more oriented towards the West.
An overwhelming majority of opposition voters (88%) agreed with this view, while just under half of undecided voters felt the same. However, only 18% of Fidesz voters want Hungary to pursue a more pro-Western foreign policy orientation.
Excellent summary of the fluid nature of Hungarian polling. In a few months the vast majority of Fidesz voters may soon proclaim that Orban was the leader of the EU and NATO in properly blaming Russia for aggression against Ukraine.
Many of the regime’s most deluded voters still illustrate the severe impact of regime controlled “newspapers” and television not unlike the magical hold the Putin’s “newspapers” and now all Russian television stations have on many equally deluded Russian voters. Nevertheless, it is easier for those using internet in Hungary to access Hungarian language and/or foreign language informed media than those living in Russia. Therefore, I still have more hope for change in Hungary, as compared to Russia, but if Trump retakes the White House, we may see a very dark age.
I’m really interested to see what the polling will look if as the war drags on, and what effect it will have on the election. The war could be a real wildcard.