Is migration really the biggest problem for Hungarians?

A recent study has revealed that Hungarians feel very much threatened by issues that are actually directly affecting their livelihoods, especially now, with the economic crisis the pandemic has caused, which may last a long time. The crisis may put the current Hungarian government to the test and may grant the opposition a chance to win voters over by a more socially sensitive crisis management plan for the 2022 elections.

The survey, which was conducted by András Bíró-Nagy, Gergely Laki, and Áron Szászi with Policy Solutions and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the biggest problems in Hungary are the standard of healthcare services, low salaries, and the high cost of living, reported 24.

By the beginning of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, 43% of Hungarians indicated that the high cost of living is amongst the top three problems of the country, as opposed to 20% a year prior.

In fourth and fifth places on the list of problems are social inequalities, which are considered high and increasing by 37%, and low pensions with 22%. Corruption came in at sixth place, compared to the previous year’s fourth place.

The complete list of problems mentioned in the survey are:

1. low standard of health services,
2. low salaries,
3. high cost of living,
4. the social gap between wealthy and poor people is too big,
5. low pension,
6. corruption,
7. life in smaller settlements is getting harder,
8. employees are vulnerable to their employers at the workplace,
9. specialised and skilled workforce moves abroad,
10. low standard of education,
11. high real estate prices,
12. quality of democracy is deteriorating,
13. not protecting the environment enough and not taking action against climate change,
14. and fearing that too many migrants will come to Hungary in the near future.

Migration was only the main problem for 8% of the people who took part in the survey, despite the government’s anti-immigration campaigns over the past couple of years.

If we take a look at what different age groups deem as an important or urgent problem, we can see that everyone is concerned with what directly affects them. Low pension is the most frequently mentioned problem among people over 60 (58%) and the least frequent among 18-29-year-olds (4%). Likewise, low salaries ranked first place for young people (51%), but it came in only at fifth place for the elderly (27%). The authors of the research, however, warn that concerns about income among all age groups might indicate an unfolding livelihood crisis.

There is a harsh contrast between how people who only completed 8 years of school and people who graduated from university see issues. For instance, people with less formal education are more concerned about the difficulty of living in smaller settlements, while those with degrees worry more about corruption, education, and the environment.

82% of Hungarians, including 72% of Fidesz voters, agree that the state should be responsible for reducing social inequalities, which was one of the most important findings of the survey.

78% of Hungarians would support a progressive tax system, while only a fifth of the population agrees with the government that flat-rate taxation is the best and most fair option for equally sharing social burdens.

69% of people who sympathise with Fidesz think that the rich should pay their fair share in taxes, while only 8% of all participants think that there is no need to tax huge fortunes more.

63% of Fidesz supporters would agree with the introduction of a basic income in Hungary, despite the governing party repeatedly refusing to introduce one. Actually, 73% of all Hungarians support the notion, which is a 6% increase compared to the survey conducted two years ago.

70% of Hungarians think that job seekers – or the unemployed – should be provided help and support longer than just three months. Two years ago, only 54% believed so. 77% of those with a primary school education and 60% of those with college degrees agreed.

When it comes to the state helping people buy their own homes, Fidesz supporters are quite divided, with 41% saying everyone deserves help purchasing a home, and 55% saying that those who could buy a home on their own should not be helped. Supporters of Momentum are quite permissive on the issue, but some MSZP voters might support the narrowing of those who qualify for the subsidy.