Europeans Want Affordable Energy, Not Ideology

The majority of EU citizens reject Brussels’ policy of steering the bloc from dependence on Russian natural gas into a more expensive dependence on the United States. Opposition to phasing out Russian gas is highest in Hungary and Bulgaria — at 73 percent.

Illustration (Photo: LOU BENOIST Source: AFP)

Brussels’ alignment with the U.S. lacks strong public legitimacy not only in Hungary but across Europe. According to Szazadveg’s Europe Project survey, 54 percent of EU citizens with an opinion find it unacceptable that the Union is replacing pipeline gas from Russia with more expensive American LNG.

Member states are divided on the issue: in Scandinavian and Baltic countries, which have typically already cut most of their trade relations with Russia, the majority (69 percent of respondents in Finland and 62 percent in Estonia) are in favor of the switch. 

In contrast, Central and Eastern European countries — given their current supply routes and geographic realities — largely oppose the replacement. The highest rejection rates were found in Hungary and Bulgaria (73%), followed by Greece (71%).

Interestingly, the issue most divides citizens in countries such as France, Spain, and Belgium, which continue to import large quantities of Russian gas — but in liquefied, rather than pipeline, form.