Hungary will carry out an opinion survey on Ukraine's potential accession to the European Union, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on March 7, according to Politico.
"We have the so-called national consultation scheme, which we use regularly to collect the opinion of the people, so we will use the same scheme just now," Orban told reporters after an emergency summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
Orban, widely regarded as the EU's most pro-Russian leader, has repeatedly opposed military aid for Ukraine and warned that Ukraine's EU membership would "destroy" Hungary. He has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Russia's full-scale invasion, amplifying Kremlin narratives in Europe.
Since 2010, Orban's government has held more than a dozen so-called national consultations on issues such as migration and LGBTQ rights.
These referendums are non-binding letter campaigns sent to Hungarian voters with questions framed to align with the government's position.
The political opposition and civil society groups have criticized these consultations as propaganda tools, pointing to their leading wording and low participation rates.
For instance, a 2023 consultation on EU migration policy asked Hungarians if they supported Brussels's creation of "migrant ghettos" in Hungary.
Less than 20% of voters participated, but 99% of those who did responded "no."
"For the first time, Hungarians have a chance in Europe to decide whether they support Ukraine's EU membership or not," Hungary's government spokesperson Balazs Orban posted on X.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in 2022 and was granted candidate status within months. Accession talks began in June 2024, with European leaders setting 2030 as a target for Ukraine's potential entry.
Like all EU members, Hungary holds veto power over further progress, allowing Budapest to delay or block Ukraine's accession.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
