In a recent survey, ECFR examined European public perceptions on issues such as the relationship between Europe and the global powers (US, China, Russia), the perception of US defence assistance, and how to re-establish relations with Russia following a possible peace agreement.
The survey shows that the majority of European citizens' views are closer to those of the Hungarian government than to the EU position in general. The Prime Minister's political director has previously commented on Hungary's strategy in several opinion pieces: Hungary has no interest in the creation of blocks, in Cold War politics or in dismantling trade routes.
Balázs Orbán told
Index that if we look at the history and geography of Europe, connectivity is the most advantageous in the globalised world of the 21st century. It also comes from Hungary's position to become the main advocate for connectivity, peaceful coexistence and trade, and for strengthening East-West relations.
If we find ourselves in a world of war, cold war, iron curtain, closed East-West alignment in the coming decades, it will be very bad for the Hungarian economy, the political director noted. However, he also said he was convinced that if Hungary can play a mediating role, a modus vivendi can be established with the United States.
Asked how realistic this was in the current geopolitical context, in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, Balázs Orbán said that the ECFR surveys he had published were important because they showed that European citizens were in favour of a common-sense European position, and that the Hungarian position was therefore supported in other member states. But he also added that this approach is under fierce attack in Europe and beyond, and that pressure from the big media and political factories will should be expected in the coming decades.
