The research shows that Hungarians envisage the future of the country within the framework of the European Union. More than three-quarter of those polled (81 percent) would vote to stay in a referendum on EU membership, and only 14 percent would support Hungary’s leaving the European community.
Hungarians are pro-European, but they would reform the bureaucracy in Brussels
It is a recurring topic in both European and domestic public discourse to reform the functioning of the European Union. For the last year and a half, criticism has mainly been made against Brussels over the control of the coronavirus pandemic and in particular, the botched supply of vaccines in the EU. It can also be observed that the elite in Brussels is increasingly demanding to intervene in the internal affairs of nation-states on public issues. Századvég examined what Hungarians think about the functioning of the European Union and the preservation of the sovereignty of Member States.
It is justifiable to reform the functioning of the European Union
| 1. adatsor | |
|---|---|
| Hungary should stay in the EU. | 81 |
| Hungary should leave the EU. | 14 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 5 |
However, the perception of the work of the bureaucracy in Brussels differ greatly. The survey highlights that
76 percent of Hungarians consider it necessary to reform the functioning of the European Union to make the organization more efficient, faster, and more transparent, thus promoting a more successful cooperation between EU Member States.
The proportion of those who consider it unnecessary to reform the bureaucracy in Brussels is 20 percent.
| 1. adatsor | |
|---|---|
| It would be necessary to reform the bureaucracy in Brussels and the functioning of the European Union to make the organization function more efficient, faster, and more transparent, and to make the European Union more successful. | 76 |
| No reforms are necessary, the European Union and its bureaucracy is functioning well. | 20 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 4 |
It can be concluded that Hungarians expect changes in several areas regarding the activities of the European Union. More than three-quarter of respondents believe that the EU should be made simpler (85 percent), and if Brussels is lagging behind in a crisis, EU leaders should also be held accountable (84 percent), and it would be justified to make the activities of the European community fairer by eliminating the double standard between Member States (79 percent). Seventy-two percent of those surveyed would cut red tape in Brussels, both in terms of resources spent and staff members.
| The functioning of the European Union should be made simpler and more transparent. | If there is a trouble and Brussels fails to act in time, the leaders in Brussels should also take responsibility and resign. | The functioning of the EU should be made fairer: the double standard should be eliminated, there should not be preferred countries or countries that are discriminated. | In the European Union, red tape in Brussels, the money spent on it, and the headcount of staff should be reduced. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rather agree | 85 | 84 | 79 | 72 |
| Rather disagree | 10 | 12 | 18 | 20 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
Considering all this, it is less surprising that one in two Hungarians (52 percent) think that their interests and opinion are not represented in Brussels.
| Absolutely | Rather yes | Rather no | Not at all | Does not know/does not answer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (%) | 12 | 32 | 26 | 26 | 4 |
Since the outbreak of the migration crisis in 2015, the preservation of the continent’s Christian culture and tradition has particularly been the subject of public debate. The research points out that 71 percent of Hungarian respondents consider the way Europe nurtures and maintains Christian culture and tradition to be essential, while only 24 percent would encourage the continent to shift toward a more secular culture.
| 1. adatsor | |
|---|---|
| Europe should preserve its Christian culture and tradition. | 71 |
| It should go beyond Christian tradition, shifting towards a more secular culture. | 24 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 5 |
Instead of Brussels, Hungarians would give Member States the right to make important decisions
An unavoidable issue for the future of the European Union is the relationship between the powers and decision-making rights of the bodies in Brussels and the Member States. According to the survey,
three-quarter of Hungarians (75 percent) are of the opinion that Europe’s nation states should be allowed to decide their own fate in key issues,
while 22 percent would support Brussels having more power over Member States.
| 1. adatsor | |
|---|---|
| In key issues, the right of Member States to decide on their own fate should be preserved. | 75 |
| The EU should have more power over Member States. | 22 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 3 |
In this context, regarding the most important political and economic issues, 74 percent of respondents would like to have the current level of European integration, or a looser cooperation, while maintaining national autonomy. The proportion of those who believe that a higher degree of integration is justified at the expense of national sovereignty is 22 percent.
| 1. adatsor | |
|---|---|
| You would support the current or less integration / more national independence. | 74 |
| You would support more integration / less national independence. | 22 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 4 |
Hungary’s position in favour of Member State sovereignty can be traced back to a strong sense of national identity. Based on the research, it can be stated that
83 percent of respondents consider themselves primarily Hungarian, and 15 percent rather European.
| Oszlop1 | Oszlop2 |
|---|---|
| Primarily Hungarian | 83 |
| Primarily European | 15 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 2 |
Another interesting fact is that more than three-quarter (84 percent) of Hungarians oppose the possibility of businessmen with significant business and political influence – through NGOs and lobby organizations – to have a say in the internal affairs of EU Member States.
| Oszlop1 | Oszlop2 |
|---|---|
| Rather agree | 13 |
| Rather disagree | 84 |
| Does not know/does not answer | 3 |
The idea of withdrawing EU funds in a pandemic situation is rejected
At the end of 2020, the elite in Brussels suggested that, despite the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the disbursement of EU funds that Member States are entitled to should be subject to political conditions disguised as the rule of law. In a resolution of the European Parliament, the Commission was called on to “react swiftly to serious breaches of the rule of law in certain Member States”, using all available means, inter alia, the procedure provided for in Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union, the “rule of law”, and infringement procedures. At the same time, it can be stated that
more than two-third (69 percent) of Hungarian respondents consider it unacceptable for Brussels to take away the resources Hungary is entitled to during the recovery from the pandemic.
| 1. adatsor | |
|---|---|
| We should not let Brussels take away what Hungary is entitled to. | 69 |
| We should accept Brussels’ decision, even if it is during the recovery from the pandemic. | 25 |
| Does not know/does not answer" | 6 |
In this context, there are several signs that
Brussels applies a double standard to Member States with which it is in dispute on key political issues.
According to the survey, 63 percent of Hungarians believe that the double standard applies to Hungary, while 33 percent find that the affairs of each country are judged equally by the bodies in Brussels.
| Yes, there is | No, there isn’t. Each country’s affairs are judged equally. | Does not know/does not answer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oszlop1 | 63 | 33 | 4 |
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