The Hungarian government began distributing ballots for a national consultation asking citizens about their support for Ukraine’s EU membership, with Budapest explicitly urging Hungarians to vote against it, European Pravda reported on 19 April.
In a letter from the Hungarian government’s information center obtained by European Pravda, officials call on citizens to reject Ukraine’s EU accession, claiming it “would cause enormous damage to Hungary.”
Hungary opposes Ukraine’s EU membership reportedly due to Hungary’s close ties with Russia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban maintained close ties with Vladimir Putin, marked by regular meetings, strong economic cooperation—especially in energy—and a shared skepticism toward Western liberalism, positioning himself as the EU’s most pro-Russian leader.
In the EU, Orban has repeatedly voted against or vetoed key decisions supporting Ukraine, including blocking joint declarations, military aid, and the start of accession talks, often citing the need to consult Hungarians and expressing concerns over economic and geopolitical impacts
The Hungarian government argued that “accelerated Ukrainian accession under current conditions would destroy the Hungarian economy.”
“We Hungarians cannot accept that such an important issue is being decided before our eyes. In the coming weeks, the government will provide detailed information on issues related to Ukraine’s accession,” the letter said.
Hungarian officials have pledged to consider the results of the vote binding.
The letter encourages citizens to “participate in the voting” and “make a responsible decision.” Ballots for the survey will be delivered by the end of May.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the survey on Ukraine’s EU membership on 5 March. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski responded to Orban’s initiative with sarcasm.
This is not the first time the Hungarian government has conducted “consultations” regarding Ukraine, with previous questions formulated in a manipulative manner.
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