Voks 2025 Exceeds All Expectations – Hungarians Sense the Danger of Ukraine’s EU Membership

More than one million people have already filled out the ballot in the public opinion vote initiated by the Hungarian government. The success of Voks 2025 demonstrates that Hungarians care deeply about being heard on serious issues such as Ukraine’s fast-tracked EU membership, which would cause significant harm to Hungary and all of Europe.

Illustration (Photo: Arpad Kurucz)

Hungarians are actively engaged when it comes to key issues that determine the future of the country. This is clearly shown by Voks 2025: according to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Thursday update, over one million votes have already been cast regarding Ukraine’s accelerated EU accession. He described this as a fantastic result, potentially exceeding all expectations. The ballots were only sent out to citizens less than a month ago, with the last envelopes arriving just Thursday—making the number of responses at this early stage particularly noteworthy.

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President and Ukriane's President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: MTI/EPA/Serhiy Dolzhenko)

The Hungarian government has repeatedly stated that the EU’s plan to admit Ukraine through a fast-track process carries multiple serious risks.

Ukraine’s accession, they argue, could lead to financial collapse within the EU, and would be particularly disadvantageous for Hungary and the Central European region. Hungary would lose agricultural subsidies, the war would pose security threats, organized crime could endanger public safety, and the labor market, healthcare, and pension systems could all be jeopardized. It’s worth noting that the largest group in the EP, the European People’s Party (EPP) led by Manfred Weber, is a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s EU membership. 

Hungarian opposition Tisza Party, led by Peter Magyar, is a member of the EPP. In its own internal vote, the Tisza Party concluded that Hungarians back Ukraine’s EU membership—but the credibility of this vote is questionable, as it likely only attracted Tisza sympathizers.

Voks 2025 Aims to Establish a National Consensus

PM Orban first announced the initiative at an EU summit in early March. Ballots for Voks 2025 can be returned until June 20, and based on current trends, 1.5 to 2 million citizens are forecast to take part. The Hungarian government has considerable experience in successfully representing Hungarian interests in Brussels, often relying directly on the clear and firm opinion of the Hungarian people. Orban explained that the public opinion vote would be conducted in the same fast and simple way as previous national consultations.

Over the past 15 years, national consultations have played a crucial role in aligning government policy with public opinion.

 The most recent consultation, held in the fall of last year, focused on economic sovereignty and neutrality, as well as economic growth, wage increases, business support and youth housing. A consultation in the fall of 2023 also included a question on Ukraine’s EU accession, and 99% of the more than 1.5 million respondents voted “no.” Over 1.3 million completed questionnaires supported the government’s position. In fall 2022, the government asked citizens their views about EU sanctions imposed in response to the war in Ukraine. According to government data, 97% of respondents rejected the sanctions, with 1.389 million participants in the consultation.

In addition to consultations, referenda also provide an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions and directionally guide government policy.

For instance, on the same day as the 2022 parliamentary elections, the government held a referendum on child protection. On all four ballot questions, a significant majority of Hungarians supported the government’s position against the spread of LGBTQ propaganda in schools and kindergartens. In 2016, during the migration crisis, the government held a referendum on EU migrant quotas. 98% of voters rejected the quota system, backing the government’s strict anti-migration stance.

Cover photo: Illustration (Photo: Arpad Kurucz)