Hungarians support nuclear energy

The majority of Hungarians, 66 percent, support the use of nuclear energy as a way to provide safe and uninterrupted energy for households, up from 53 percent in 2020, according to a survey conducted by Társadalomkutató published in the daily Magyar Nemzet on Tuesday.

Comparing the results of the 2023 survey to one conducted in 2020, Társadalomkutató said Hungarians’ original support for nuclear energy strengthened over time, probably due to the war in Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis. In 2020, 53 percent of respondents supported increasing the role of nuclear plants in Hungary’s energy mix, while that ratio was 62 percent in 2023, the pollster said.

Some 40 percent of respondents see nuclear energy as key in safe energy supplies in 20-50 years, Társadalomkutató said. Regarding their effect on the environment, 43 percent of respondents said “weather-dependent sustainable energy” was the least damaging, while 23 percent named nuclear energy as the cleanest.

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At the same time, 70 percent (up from 61 percent in 2020) said the Paks nuclear plant produced the cheapest energy in the country, while 59 percent (up from 50 percent) said nuclear plants were generally the cheapest energy producers.

In 2020, 64 percent were aware that there was a nuclear plant operating in Hungary. That number went up to 70 percent by 2023, Társadalomkutató said. Fully 62 percent also supports the construction of new blocks, up from 51 percent in 2020, it said. Fully 57 percent of respondents agreed that they should be built “using cutting-edge Russian technology,” against 53 percent in 2020, it said.

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