The majority of Hungarians are calling for a ceasefire and peace talks

Ninety-two percent of Hungarians would immediately end the Russian-Ukrainian war and bring the parties involved to the negotiating table, according to an October opinion poll by Századvég. The survey examined Hungarians' views on the leading politicians involved, the relationship of certain countries and political actors to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the issue of ending the armed conflict.

Oct 27, 2022

Pro-war and pro-sanctions politicians are very unpopular

In recent times, Russia and Ukraine, as in the previous months, have focused on achieving military objectives and increasing the effectiveness of their acts of war, while Brussels and the United States have continued their sanctions policies, further increasing the costs caused by the armed conflict. Given that the parties have not come any closer to ending the war, it is not surprising that the domestic perception of leading politicians, directly or indirectly involved in the conflict and committed to continuing the war or to sanctions, has not changed significantly; it still clearly presents a negative picture. In October, 67 percent of those polled expressed a negative opinion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – just short of the 68 percent in September – while the camp of those who had an unfavourable view of Vladimir Putin rose from 69 percent to 72 percent from September to October. Similarly to the latter,

the disapproval of U.S. President Joe Biden among the Hungarian population rose from 64 percent to 67 percent

during that period. Brussels' policy of punitive measures does not meet the expectations of Hungarians, so the President of the European Commission's popularity has continued to decline in recent weeks.

More than half of the respondents (55 percent) have a negative attitude towards Ursula von der Leyen

(compared to 50 percent in September), while 30 percent expressed a positive opinion of the Brussels politician.

According to the research,

nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Hungarians believe that the United States of America and Joe Biden are more in favour of continuing the Russian-Ukrainian war,

which is likely related to the fact that the actions and statements of the U.S. president do not contribute to the promotion of a peace deal but to the further escalation of the conflict. In Hungary, government policy is in line with the consistent pro-peace stance of the population. Accordingly,

more than four-fifths (84 percent) of those surveyed believe that Hungary and Viktor Orbán are in favour of a peaceful settlement of the armed conflict. About the European Union, half of Hungarians (50 percent), while about China, 38 percent of respondents believe that they strive for a peaceful end to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The pro-peace stance of the Hungarian population is undiminished

Based on previous analyses of Századvég, it can be clearly stated that the Hungarians, in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, are opposed to taking steps that hinder the achievement of a compromise and the early ending of the armed conflict through peace negotiations. This is inseparable from the fact that

the vast majority is firmly committed to peace,

which is confirmed by the latest research results. The survey reveals that

92 percent of Hungarians would immediately end the war and bring the parties to the negotiating table.

Methodology

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

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The majority of Hungarians are calling for a ceasefire and peace talks

Pro-war and pro-sanctions politicians are very unpopular

The pro-peace stance of the Hungarian population is undiminished

Methodology

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