society

Instead of the unanimity required for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, public opinion in 11 EU Member States opposes the belligerent country’s accelerated accession. The majority of the population in several neighbouring and surrounding countries (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic) as well as in Germany and France, the two most populous Member States of the European Union, do not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union as soon as possible, according to the latest results of Századvég’s 2025 Project Europe survey.

Macro Monitor - May 2025

The latest results of Századvég’s Project Europe survey show that, while Brussels decision-makers continue their policy of distancing themselves from China in the shadow of the US-China trade war, more than 50% of people in all EU Member States believe that the European Union should strive for peaceful economic cooperation with both the United States and China.

80% of European citizens believe the continent is stagnating or declining. The pessimistic attitude can best be explained by the growing cost-of-living crisis: one in three EU citizens has trouble making ends meet, and almost half would be unable to cover a large, unexpected expense. There are significant differences between Member States: while in Greece and Latvia, the relative majority struggles to make ends meet, in the Netherlands and Hungary, three quarters of the population are able to live on their income.

Between 2016 and 2025, support for nuclear energy in the EU increased from 17% to 42%, while opposition fell from 44% to 17%. The technology is one of the most positively perceived in Hungary: two-thirds of Hungarians believe that nuclear power plants should play a decisive role in the energy mix.

On 2 June 2025, Századvég Foundation hosted the conference “A Changing World Order: Questions and Answers for Europe”, which aimed to explore the challenges facing the European Union and the impact of global geopolitical shifts. The event also presented the results of Századvég's Project Europe survey for 2025, which highlighted the current problems and concerns of European citizens.

22% of Europeans are unable to heat their homes properly, and 26% have been unable to pay their utility bills in the past year due to lack of money. Thanks to the overhead cost reduction, Hungary has the lowest figures for both indicators among EU Member States. But the Brussels plan to ban Russian energy would jeopardise the programme, with serious social consequences.

While the European political elite is obsessed with war and armament, in 2025, more European citizens oppose arms deliveries to Ukraine (49%) than support them (44%), and 67% of EU respondents reject sending military troops to support Ukraine, according to the latest results of the Századvég Project Europe survey.

Macro Monitor – April 2025

Brussels is considering a new measure to ban Russian energy imports into the European Union. According to Századvég estimates, the missing natural gas volumes would cause prices to double and volatility to increase on European natural gas exchanges, which would further undermine the EU’s competitiveness and increase Hungary’s energy bill by a total of HUF 1,100 billion. With the increased expenses, the overhead cost reduction policy would become unsustainable, and Hungarian families’ heating costs would increase three and a half times the current level, which would mean an average additional expense of nearly half a million forints per year.

Századvég presented its latest research, which aims to explore the impact of recent crises on Hungarian society. The research focused on how crises have affected social stratification, mobility and mental health. The research used a multidimensional approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to identify patterns of crisis impacts across different social groups and geographical units, and to explore deeper contexts and narratives.

Corporate sustainability and ESG considerations are now not just a “fad”, but a very concrete expectation. Moreover, this affects a wide range of Hungarian businesses through two vital channels: the customers and the financing banks.

Macro Monitor – September 2024

As the upcoming U.S. presidential election draws near, examining how Hungarian society perceives relations and cooperation opportunities with the United States becomes particularly relevant. A comprehensive public opinion survey by Századvég provides unique insights into this issue. The survey results highlight that while Hungarians generally support closer cooperation, they view U.S. cultural influence and international engagement critically. The research also explores how Hungarian public opinion perceives the potential impact of the November 5th U.S. presidential election on bilateral relations.

Macro Monitor – August 2024

According to the September 2024 survey of Századvég Konjunktúrakutató, household economic sentiment improved by 1.5 index points, while business economic expectations fell by 0.5 index points from the previous month. Thus, the household index, measured on a scale of -100 to +100, strengthened to -16.9, while the business index weakened to -16.1. In the September survey, the most positive change in household sentiment was regarding larger purchases in the next year. From August to September, the biggest change for business is that they expect their export activities to increase in volume in the future.

The number of mobile internet users is growing significantly in Hungary year after year, both among residential and business users, and more and more of them are switching to 5G technology. The social perception of 5G, previously surrounded by many negative beliefs, has also improved significantly in recent years, with users overwhelmingly reporting neutral or positive impressions, according to a survey conducted by the Digital Business Unit of Századvég Konjunktúrakutató in the first half of 2024.