Brussels’ oil embargo proposal is surrounded by social rejection

Ursula von der Leyen presented the details of the European Commission’s sixth sanction proposal against Russia at the European Parliament’s plenary session on 4 May. The body in Brussels plans that EU Member States should stop importing Russian oil within six months and refined petroleum products by the end of the year. Századvég has examined what Hungarians think about the blocking of Russian oil and natural gas imported to Hungary and the economic consequences of the sanctions imposed on Russia.

May 13, 2022

Three-quarters of Hungarians oppose the Russian oil and gas embargo

According to research data, three-quarters (75 percent) of those surveyed would not support Hungary’s blocking of Russian oil and natural gas imported to Hungary under pressure from the United States and Brussels, while 21 percent would not object. It is important to stress that

the rejection of the embargo on energy sources from Russia goes beyond the traditional fault lines of party politics.

The survey reveals that the majority of the Opposition Coalition’s partisans (51 percent), 58 percent of the supporters of Magyar Kétfarkú Kutyapárt and 91 percent of the voters of Mi Hazánk Mozgalom oppose the blocking of Russian natural gas and oil, while this proportion among Fidesz-KDNP partisans is 92 perecent. Thus, it can be stated that

the opinion of the majority of opposition voters is also represented by the governing parties and not by the government-critical political forces, in which this group of voters has placed their trust.

The measures taken against Russia also do harm to Europe

It can be stated that the vast majority of Hungarians – similarly to the previously measured data – believe that the punitive measures taken against Russia also have a negative effect on the economic situation in the European Union.

Eighty-nine percent of respondents say that economic sanctions against Russia are rather detrimental to the European Union and the European economy,

while 10 percent believe that the measures will not have significant impact on Europe’s economy.

No significant differences can be seen in the assessment of the issue broken down by party preference.

The survey shows that Fidesz-KDNP (92 percent) and Mi Hazánk Mozgalom (90 percent) have the largest proportion of supporters who consider the sanctions in question to be unfavourable for the European economy, while an overwhelming majority of the opposition coalition (86 percent) and Magyar Kétfarkú Kutyapárt (87 percent) partisans also expressed the same opinion.

Methodology

CATI method, n=1000, among the Hungarian adult population, data collection: May 2022

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Brussels’ oil embargo proposal is surrounded by social rejection

Three-quarters of Hungarians oppose the Russian oil and gas embargo

The measures taken against Russia also do harm to Europe

Methodology

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