95% of Hungarians oppose Ukraine joining EU
The consultative vote, which asked a single question – 'Do you support Ukraine's European Union membership?' – ran from mid-April to June 20.
According to Orban, 2,168,431 Hungarians, or 95% of those who voted, rejected Ukraine's EU aspirations.
'95% of the votes cast were 'no' and 5% answered 'yes'… I will say today, in the voice of more than two million Hungarians, that Hungary does not support Ukraine's accession to the EU. These are the bare facts,' Orban told reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Thursday.
He emphasized that Hungary's position cannot be bypassed, as Ukraine's membership requires unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states.
'A unanimous decision is needed even to launch negotiations on the matter. We don't have it, therefore they should not happen. Nothing can happen today that has a legal effect on the matter of Ukraine's EU membership… because Hungary does not support it,' Orban stressed.
Ukraine made EU accession its national goal back in 2019 and officially applied to join the bloc in 2022, shortly after hostilities with Russia escalated. The EU granted Kiev candidate status in June 2022 and set a target date for 2030. Critics argue Ukraine's economy and institutions are unprepared, and that membership would place an unbearable financial strain on the bloc. Even Poland, one of Kiev's key backers, has shown declining support for Ukraine's bid. A recent IBRiS poll commissioned by Defence24 outlet found only 35% of Poles support Ukraine joining the EU – down from 85% in 2022.
Hungary has consistently opposed Ukraine's integration into both the EU and NATO, warning that it could heighten tensions with Russia. Orban argued the move could lead to an 'endless war' in Europe, forcing EU taxpayers to fund Ukraine's army. His adviser Balazs Orban previously estimated that Kiev's full integration would cost the bloc around €2.5 trillion ($2.9 trillion), more than 12 times the EU's current budget.
Moscow has firmly opposed Ukraine's bid to join NATO but has taken a more neutral stance on its EU ambitions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously said Ukraine has the 'sovereign right' to join the bloc if it remains focused on economic ties rather than military alignment.
However, Russian officials have warned the EU's civilian-military distinction has been fading. Peskov recently described the EU's new military spending plans as 'rabid militarization,' while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the bloc 'has degraded into an openly militarized entity.'
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