Voks 2025: Government Seeks Public Opinion on Ukraine's EU Bid, Unlike Brussels

The Hungarian government has launched Voks 2025, a consultative vote, asking citizens one key question: “Do you support Ukraine's European Union membership?” The stakes are high, as the government states it will treat the result as politically binding.

Ukrainian government and European Commission members meeting in Kyiv on the country's EU candidacy (Photo: MTI/EPA/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)

The Brussels leftist elite is attempting to fast-track Ukraine’s EU accession against European people's interests and without consulting them, despite the country being at war. The Hungarian government argues this could pose serious risks for all EU citizens, including Hungarians. Hungary is currently the only EU country where the government is consulting the public on the matter, instead of deciding for them. The public opinion vote was launched under the title Voks 2025 and contains a single question: "Do you support Ukraine's European Union membership?" Citizens can choose: "Yes" or "No".

The campaign poster of Hungary's public opinion vote on Ukraine's EU membership. The text reads: "Voks 2025 on Ukraine's EU membership. Let's not allow them to decide over our heads. Put out by the Government of Hungary."  (Photo: Magyar Nemzet)

The delivery of the more than seven million ballot papers for the referendum started a week ago and will continue for six weeks through the Hungarian Postal Service. The ballot papers will first be sent to people in the capital, and then to those in the countryside. The postal service plans to get the ballot papers to everyone by May 22.

Ballot envelopes containing a completed Voks 2025 ballot paper can be returned by post free of charge until June 20, 2025. 

The government emphasizes the importance of letting Hungarians decide together on Ukraine’s EU membership and aims to present this collective stance before EU institutions, instead of having them decide over our heads.

Image of ballot in Voks 2025. The text reads: "Ballot in public opinion vote on Ukraine's EU accession. Do you support Ukraine's EU membership? A valid vote requires marking only one answer: Yes or No. The marking must be an 'X' or '+' in ink in the appropriate circle . (Source: Government of Hungary)

The government has a clear and firm position: Ukraine’s accession would seriously harm Hungary’s economy. However, as it has in previous years with national consultations and referenda, the Fidesz–KDNP-led government is once again seeking direct public authorization to represent Hungarian's interests on a matter of national significance.

 

Brussels uninterested in people's opinion

Brussels is pushing to fast-track Ukraine's EU membership without consulting Europeans, and without accounting for or discussing the consequences of allowing a country at war to join.

The European leftists want to make this decision over the heads of the people, including Hungarians.

Yet this decision could severely impact the everyday lives of Europeans long term, as Ukraine’s accession carries numerous risks. Nevertheless, Ursula von der Leyen, Manfred Weber, and their Hungarian mouthpiece, Peter Magyar, fully support Ukraine's EU membership.

This is why the Tisza Party did exactly what Brussels instructed him to: they held a fake referendum, the results of which unsurprisingly reflect what Peter Magyar’s bosses in Brussels expected. The majority of the Tisza Party supports Ukraine's EU membership. The left-wing party leader also revealed what will happen after their data-collection referendum: they will treat the results as a political commitment, and it will form the basis of their government program.

It will become a sort of national minimum,

declared Peter Magyar, making it clearer than ever that he would support the neighboring country's EU accession based on a questionable fake referendum—even if Hungarians opposed it in the framework of the official Vote 2025, and even if it would harm Hungarian citizens and families.

Despite the Tisza Party’s pro-accession result, 

public opinion polls clearly show that the majority of Hungarians reject Ukraine’s EU membership.

Therefore, unlike the left-wing party, the Hungarian government is consulting people in a credible and verifiable way: Vote 2025 ballots are printed on secure paper that cannot be duplicated, and the vote tallying will be conducted in the presence of a notary.

The government will treat the results of this verified vote as politically binding.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: MTI/EPA/Serhiy Dolzhenko)

 

Peter Magyar isn’t concerned about dangers of Ukraine’s accession

The accelerated accession is not only an important issue because it could negatively impact member states, but because it also turns the core principles of the European Union upside down. Joining the EU requires meeting numerous criteria, which Ukraine currently cannot—and is unlikely to be able to—meet in the near future. Although our eastern neighbor fails to fulfill these conditions, left-wing politicians would still rush to grant them membership, ignoring the fact that those criteria exist for a reason.

Clearly, this does not concern the Tisza party leader, as he must fulfill the promises made to his superiors—even if accession comes with numerous negative consequences for Hungarians, which the leftist politician avoids mentioning.

Such consequences include, for example, that Hungarian farmers would face difficult circumstances, as the European market would be flooded with huge quantities of Ukrainian agricultural products of uncontrolled quality.

In addition to agriculture, some of the most brutal armed criminal groups could be unleashed on Europe. Organized crime was already thriving in Ukraine even before the war, and in recent years, it has reached new levels. Following accession, these criminal networks could move freely throughout the EU, including into Hungary. Moreover, due to the war, serious illnesses and epidemics are emerging more frequently and could easily enter Hungary and the EU, posing additional significant health risks to residents.

Furthermore, accession would bring a noticeable financial burden to every Hungarian family.

Ukraine’s accession could impose a cost of up to €2.5 trillion, with severe economic consequences for the EU and Hungary. The war has already cost Hungary approximately 9,100 billion forints, 

which amounts to more than 2 million forints per family.

With fast-tracked accession, the burden would grow further, meaning that Hungarian families’ financial situation would deteriorate.

EPP President Manfred Weber and Tisza Party President Peter Magyar (Photo: Miklos Teknos)

 

Viktor Orban has already voted

On Tuesday, the Hungarian prime minister received his opinion vote ballot and has already marked the option matching his views. In a video about the occasion, he urged everyone to express their opinions, as this question will determine Hungary’s fate for decades.

Ukraine’s EU accession carries enormous risks,

he stated. "It threatens the operation of Hungarian companies, will destroy our agriculture, put Hungarian jobs at risk, and even endanger pensions,” Orban listed, adding that “Brussels bureaucrats and their local agents are doing everything they can to force Ukraine’s EU accession through.”

Orban also warned of the danger that they want to admit a country into the EU that is not sovereign, whose eastern borders are undefined, whose territory and population size are unclear, and which cannot even support itself.

Cover photo: Ukrainian government and European Commission members meeting in Kyiv on the country's EU candidacy (Photo:  MTI/EPA/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)