Majority of Hungarians oppose Ukraine's EU membership

Residents of Hungary have become less supportive of EU expansion in 2024 compared to the previous year, with particular scepticism towards Ukraine's membership.

As reported by Telex, a survey by the Policy Solutions analytical centre shows that while last year most respondents supported the accession of several candidate countries, only 45% of those surveyed in 2024 were positive about Montenegro, which had the highest support. In contrast, Hungarians show the least support for Ukraine among the candidate countries, with 61% rejecting Ukraine’s membership this year.

Ukraine's EU accession is most popular among voters of the opposition TISZA party: 34% support it, while 53% oppose it. Voters from this party prefer Montenegro (50%) among EU members, while Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party voters would rather see Türkiye join.

The survey indicates that most Hungarians are tired of the EU-government debates, with two-thirds believing the government should meet all interim benchmarks set for funding allocation. This figure has remained unchanged from last year.

While 40% of pro-government voters reject the idea of Hungary conceding to the European Commission, 54% believe the government should make concessions to secure EU funds.

A summer survey by Policy Solutions showed that Hungarians perceive a greater threat from Ukraine than from Russia. 

As previously reported by European Pravda, the issue of whether the EU should support Ukraine is divisive for Hungarian society.