Steven N.In the past two months, the number of Hungarians who consider Russia the aggressor in the Ukrainian war has been steadily and significantly declining, according to a new Publicus Institute poll reported on by Népszava. In previous polls, 64% of respondents thought of Russia as an aggressor in early March, compared to only 58% at the end of March and 56% now.
The survey reveals that 25% of Hungarians believe that Russia was defending itself by attacking Ukraine and launching the war.
Moreover, the article points out that the number of people satisfied with the government’s response to the war thus far has gone from 60% to 66% over the past few months.
72% of respondents answered in the negative to the question: “Would you support sanctions against Russia if it meant you would have to pay more for your energy costs?” But the answers were highly dependent on political affiliation: only 6% of Fidesz supporters were willing to make any sacrifice large or small, while 61% of opposition voters would be willing to do so.
However, the poll showed that Hungarians still identify with Western values, with a strong 62% majority agreeing that “Hungary traditionally belongs to the West in terms of values, and must therefore strive towards the West in the future.”
Very few respondents (5-18%) agreed that it would be in Hungary’s interest for the country to get closer to Russia and away from the European Union and the United States. [HVG]
