According to a late November public opinion poll by Real-PR 93, the majority of Hungarians agree with the defence development measures initiated by the Hungarian government.
The survey revealed that three-quarters of respondents (76 per cent) support the purchase of modern military technologies and the pay hike for soldiers, while two-thirds (69 per cent) are in favour of the expansion of the defence forces. The research conducted via telephone interviews with 1,000 participants from 27 to 30 November indicates that even left-wing individuals do not reject the ongoing developments, despite Klára Dobrev’s alternative defence programme announced last week.
The pollsters called attention to the global political context in their press release, pointing out the serious conflict in neighbouring Ukraine that has been ongoing for nearly two years, and the emergence of a war situation in the Middle East in early October following Hamas’s attack on Israel. The statement highlighted that amidst these circumstances, the question of strengthening the Hungarian Defence Forces has gained even more significance. The overwhelming majority of the Hungarian population
agrees with the development of the Hungarian military in all three areas examined in the survey:
76 per cent support the purchase of modern military technology and the increase in Hungarian soldiers’ salaries, with only 18 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, expressing disagreement. Furthermore, 69 per cent agree that it is necessary to increase the number of soldiers, while 23 per cent hold opposing views. Among the adult population, 88 per cent support at least one defence development goal out of the three listed, with 58 per cent of Hungarians endorsing all three objectives.
Real-PR 93’s opinion poll found very similar views among those certain to vote in a hypothetical parliamentary election this Sunday. Of these certain voters, 77 per cent are in favour of the purchase of modern military technology, 75 per cent of increasing soldiers’ salaries, and 69 per cent are for expanding military personnel. Voters of the ruling party respond positively to the government-initiated defence development measures, with over 87 per cent favouring all three development issues and only six to seven per cent are against them. Even among left-wing voters, measures such as the purchase of modern military technology (62 per cent) and the increase in soldiers’ salaries (59 per cent) remain popular. Even concerning the increase of the number of troops, there is no outright rejection, but rather a divided opinion, as 46 and 47 per cent support and oppose it respectively.
While both urban and rural populations generally agree on the three military development goals, there are distinct differences in numerical results between the two demographic groups.
Support for the Hungarian Defence Forces development is higher in the countryside,
with 78 per cent endorsing the purchase of modern military technology and the increase in soldiers’ salaries, and 72 per cent supporting the expansion of military personnel. In contrast, in the capital, agreement on personnel expansion drops to 56 per cent, while salary increases and the purchase of modern military technology receive a support of 65 per cent and 71 per cent, respectively.
The pollster noted that 90 per cent of the countryside population supports at least one development goal out of the three listed, while 58 per cent support all three. In comparison, among Budapest residents, the former ratio is 82 per cent, while the latter is 45 per cent.
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