A new poll published just days before Hungary’s election suggests that an overwhelming majority of voters want the country to remain in the European Union, despite years of sharp anti-EU rhetoric from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The survey points to strong support for continued membership of the bloc and indicates that many Hungarians are now looking for a different relationship with Brussels. That shift appears to extend beyond Orbán’s opponents, with the poll showing that some of his own voters also want a new approach.
The findings come at a politically sensitive moment. Orbán, who has long portrayed the EU as an adversary of the Hungarian people, is facing the possibility of being removed from office after 16 years in power. The election is shaping up as a major test of his leadership and of the direction Hungary may take in its dealings with the European Union.
The poll suggests that, after years of repeated attacks on the bloc from the country’s nationalist and illiberal leader, public opinion has not shifted toward leaving the EU. Instead, the data indicate broad support for Hungary’s membership and a clear appetite for recalibrating the country’s relationship with Brussels.
That result is notable because Orbán has made opposition to EU institutions a central part of his political identity. His government has often clashed with European officials over issues including rule of law, democratic standards and the balance of power between national governments and the bloc. Yet the survey suggests many voters do not share an outright rejection of EU membership itself.
For Hungary, the question is no longer simply whether the country remains in the EU, but what kind of relationship it wants to have within it. The poll indicates that a large segment of the electorate is open to change, even if it does not want a break with the bloc.
With the election only days away, the findings add another layer of pressure to Orbán’s campaign. They also suggest that any future government in Budapest may face public expectations for a less confrontational and more pragmatic stance toward Brussels.
In that sense, the survey captures a possible turning point in Hungary’s domestic politics and its place in Europe. After years of EU-bashing at the top of government, the public mood appears to be more nuanced: supportive of membership, but increasingly interested in a reset.
