Startling survey: Hungarian youth’s growing discontent with the EU

According to an EU opinion poll, Hungarian youth are the least supportive of the EU among young people in the 27 EU Member States. The representative survey of 16- to 30-year-olds, commissioned by the European Parliament, showed that only 30% of Hungarian respondents accept the European Union as it currently operates, while a further 20% would support the EU in principle but only with changes.

The survey also found that young people in the island state of Malta have experienced a decline in their unconditional confidence in the EU, accompanied by a parallel increase in the proportion of undecided respondents, whereas Hungary also saw a decline in this category. Among Hungarian respondents, 26% could be classified as Eurosceptics, while 8% were clearly anti-EU.

High disinformation rate and weakening attachment

The survey also provided insight into where young people are most likely to encounter misleading or untrue news. It found that 58% of young Hungarians are exposed to this type of information at least weekly, a figure surpassed only by the Maltese.

Regarding national identity, 24% of Hungarians stated that they felt most attached to their country, placing them at the bottom of the list. Additionally, many respondents indicated that they felt equally or generally weakly attached to national, EU and local levels. The survey also found that young Hungarians ranked among the lowest in all three areas in terms of their understanding of how institutions function—particularly, they were at the bottom of the league for knowledge of EU mechanisms (29%).

Political activity and values

In response to questions about young people’s political participation—such as signing petitions, participating in consumer boycotts, or posting on social media about public issues—Hungarians ranked last among the 27 Member States. In terms of core values, Hungarian respondents highlighted the importance of defending human rights, peace, and democracy (51%). In contrast, human dignity, including the prohibition of the death penalty, torture, and slavery, was a priority for only 21%, a figure tied with that of Romanian respondents.

Priorities and sources of information

Young Hungarians ranked the environment and climate change (21%) and defence policy (13%) as the top EU priorities for the next five years, with a lower proportion than young people in other Member States. However, alongside Sweden, they ranked education as a top priority (36%). Additionally, the cost of living was a major concern, with 43% identifying it as a high priority.

According to Telex, the survey also reveals that a high proportion of young Hungarians in the EU (55%) use Facebook as a source of information, while 49% use TikTok and Instagram. However, the proportion of young Hungarians obtaining news from Twitter (now X) and WhatsApp is among the lowest in the EU.

Overall, the survey shows that Hungarian young people’s support for the European Union in its current form is weaker than in other countries, and their political activism and knowledge of European institutions are below average. At the same time, education and economic concerns are high on their list of priorities, indicating where they would like to see the EU play a more effective role.

As previously reported, Hungary experienced the EU’s highest increase in housing costs. Read the details HERE.