According to 57 percent of Hungarians, both political parties and all organizations participating in campaigns should be subject to stricter regulations, determined the latest poll from the Nézőpont Institute. As they reminded, a year ago, background organizations linked to Hungarian opposition parties received over four billion forints (~10M euro) from US and Swiss sources; this amount is more than five times what is granted in state support.
As they reported,
this campaign financing scandal – the biggest since the fall of communism – convinced the majority of both pro-Fidesz voters (65%) and many left-wing voters (43%) of the need for stricter measures.
Only a fifth of Fidesz voters (19%) and a third of opposition supporters (34%) believe that there is no need for more restrictions. There is a majority throughout all social groups in favor of stricter legislation: even groups that are typically in disagreement with the government – those with higher education degrees and Budapest residents – think that current regulations should be tightened, 48% and 51% respectively.
In answer to the question “organizations tied to political parties should be able to. accept financial campaign support from which countries?”, the majority of answers (56%) replied that no foreign support at all should be acceptable.
About eight out of ten Hungarians polled (77%) consider it unacceptable if organizations tied to political parties receive funding from Chinese or Russian sources; seven out of ten (71%) oppose funding from the US; six out of ten (59%) oppose funding from the EU.
On the other hand, about a quarter of Hungarians (27%) believe that financial campaign support from the EU is acceptable while every seventh (15%) consider it acceptable from the United States. Only every tenth Hungarian polled considered campaign funding from China and Russia acceptable (9%).
