The survey shows that a relative majority of EU citizens do not support a full embargo on Russian energy imports, with opposition particularly strong in Central and Southern Europe.Despite opposition votes from Hungary and Slovakia, the European Commission succeeded in pushing through a draft regulation that would fully phase out Russian energy supplies from the EU in the coming period.
The move has raised several legal and political concerns. Critics argue that although the measure is effectively a sanction, Brussels presented it as a trade policy decision, allowing it to be adopted by qualified majority rather than requiring unanimous approval from all member states.
This procedural choice circumvents EU treaty rules and undermines national sovereignty.Energy policy and the composition of national energy supply mixes fall under member state competence, and opponents warn that the regulation would significantly restrict this authority. In addition, the Commission had received a mandate from member states to focus on restoring EU competitiveness.
Excluding a major supplier from the energy market, however, would artificially limit supply, push prices higher, weaken security of supply, and ultimately harm competitiveness—running counter to that mandate.Beyond legal objections, the Századvég Europe Project survey indicates a clear disconnect between Brussels and European voters.
According to the findings, 45 percent of EU citizens oppose a full embargo on Russian energy, while support falls short of a majority in most member states. In two-thirds of EU countries, at least a relative majority of respondents reject the measure.
Only three member states—Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia—show absolute majority support for the ban.Opposition is strongest in Slovenia, where 68 percent of respondents reject the embargo, followed by Greece at 65 percent.
In Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Hungary, 62 percent of respondents oppose the measure. In Hungary, analysts attribute public resistance in part to the anticipated economic impact: estimates suggest that a full ban could increase household utility costs to three-and-a-half times current levels and push fuel prices above 1,000 forints per liter.Both the Hungarian and Slovak governments have already signaled that they will challenge the regulation in court.
The Századvég research underscores that energy policy remains one of the most sensitive issues facing the EU, with public opinion diverging sharply from decisions taken in Brussels.