Hungarians want a strong leader, that is what they expect from the country’s leader

Viktor Orbán Kötcse leader
Photo: facebook.com/orbanviktor

According to an Ipsos poll, citizens in 28 states think their country is in a decline. In a growing number of places, including Hungary, there is a desire for a strong leader to stand up to the elite.

Ipsos conducted a poll at the end of 2023 to gauge the popularity of populism in 28 countries. The survey also revealed the mindset of Hungarians.

Hungarians have a negative opinion of society, with 69% of those surveyed saying the country is in ruins. This is 12% higher than the average for the participating countries.

For the survey, Ipsos has developed a so-called “flawed system index”, which aggregates responses to five statements:

  • the economy benefits the rich,
  • traditional parties don’t care about the people,
  • you need a strong leader,
  • strong leaders need to take the country back from the rich,
  • and the experts don’t understand the problems of the people.

The aggregate response to these questions shows that 61% of people worldwide think the system is not working, but in Hungary, the figure is 66%. The worst situation can be seen in South Africa, while the majority of Germans are broadly satisfied in this respect, 24.hu reports.

What do Hungarians want? A strong leader

What Hungarians want most of all is a strong leader to lead the country. An important goal would be for the leader to take Hungary back from the rich and powerful, but they no longer want the leader to break the rules in the process.

73% of the respondents are disillusioned with traditional domestic parties, while 69% think that the most important political issues should be decided by referendum.

Respondents said that Hungary could make progress by stopping immigration and giving preference to Hungarian workers. 70% of respondents in Hungary see the elite as a closed group with similar values, and about as many say that elites only look out for their own interests when making decisions and do not care about the rest of the country.

When it comes to public spending, Hungarians say that the biggest share of public spending should go to healthcare. This is followed by education and public safety.

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