Results of the Project Europe Research in 2026
Budapest
24 February 2026
09:00
REGISTRATION (CLOSED)
SUMMARY (SOON)
Since 2016, the Századvég Foundation has been conducting regular public opinion surveys for the past ten years with the aim of exploring European citizens’ views on the most important issues shaping the future of the European Union. The unique research programme known as the Europe Project has by now become the largest and most comprehensive comparative public opinion survey in Europe: it covers thirty countries, with a representative sample of one thousand respondents per country, involving a total of thirty thousand participants.
As in previous years, the 2026 Europe Project survey seeks to map public attitudes towards the most significant public policy issues affecting our continent. In addition to examining a broad range of current topics, the latest survey places particular emphasis on perceptions of European and national identity, Europeans’ cost-of-living challenges, and the reconfiguration of social and political processes unfolding in the context of a transforming global order. Key catalysts of these developments include the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war, evaluations of the performance of EU leadership, and the changing nature of Europe’s relations with major global powers.
Beyond mapping societal attitudes, the research programme also functions as a measurement tool, offering an opportunity to assess the extent to which the European political elite is able to adequately and faithfully represent the will of European citizens on the issues that matter most to them.
The professional discourse was enriched by contributions from Századvég’s researchers, as well as several prominent government decision-makers and political experts.
The conference was held in Hungarian, with simultaneous English interpretation provided.
Venue
Castle Garden Bazaar (2-6 Ybl Miklós Square, 1013 Budapest, Hungary)
Date
24 February 2026
Time
09:00
Participation
Participation is free of charge, but prior registration is required
8:00–9:00
Registration
10:30–10:50
Coffee Break
10:50–12:15
Section I: The European Welfare Model at Risk
12:15–13:15
Lunch Break
13:15–14:35
Section II: Europe in an Energy Trap
14:35–15:35
Section III: The EU: From Peace Project to War Alliance
We reserve the right to make changes to the programme.
Host of the event: Dániel Bohár.
The Brussels regulation banning Russian oil and gas not only violates EU laws and the sovereignty of Member States but also runs counter to the expectations of Europeans. According to a recent survey by Századvég, the relative majority of EU citizens do not support a total embargo. In Hungary, the rejection rate is 62%.
Brussels’ misguided sanctions and high carbon taxes have pushed up energy prices on the market, which have been passed on to residential consumers in most Member States. Higher utility costs are causing serious livelihood challenges for a lot of households: right now, one-fifth of Europeans are having trouble paying their heating bills, and more than a quarter are having trouble paying their bills in general. Thanks to the overhead cost reduction policy, Hungarians are the least affected by both indicators.
Brussels imposes the world's highest carbon taxes on EU energy producers, which, combined with its misguided sanctions policy, doubles European prices compared to industrial electricity prices in the US and China. In 2024, an EU power plant had to pay three times as much per ton of carbon dioxide emitted as an American power plant and five times as much as a Chinese energy company. By early 2026, carbon dioxide quotas had broken multi-year records, widening the gap even further.
Brussels would admit Ukraine to the EU as early as 2027, before it has fulfilled the accession criteria. According to a recent survey by Századvég, three quarters of EU citizens reject the initiative. Most of them are concerned that the integration of Ukraine would worsen the situation of EU farmers, increase crime, weaken food safety and reduce development funding.
