After Viktor Orbán, the majority also fears nuclear war – survey

Fully 54 percent of Hungarians consider it “a real danger” that the Russia-Ukraine war could escalate into a third-world war and 55 percent think that one of the warring sides could deploy nuclear arms, according to a survey released by the Nézőpont Institute on Monday.

The Hungarian government’s communication seems to be working very well, as the government’s fear is reflected in society. Viktor Orbán and members of his government are constantly communicating that because the West is backing Ukraine, and therefore not allowing our eastern neighbour to collapse, they are escalating the war, which could turn into a third world war. But the government will further strengthen Russian business ties: Hungary reaches new agreements with Russia on energy supply

When the war broke out more than a year ago, many Hungarians believed that it would end soon, Nézőpont said.

Today, only 42 percent of Hungarians believe that there is no realistic threat of a world war and 41 percent sees no realistic threat of the deployment of nuclear arms either, the think-tank said.

Among those who fear a world war, 81 percent also fear the deployment of nuclear arms and only 16 percent think that a world war would be fought without such weapons.

Those who do not fear a global conflict (77 percent), mostly do not fear destruction caused by nuclear weapons either, while 21 percent consider the use of nuclear weapons in a local conflict to be conceivable even without the risk of a world war, Nézőpont said.

Nézőpont conducted its survey of 1,000 adults by phone between April 17 and 19.