Tisza’s effort was packaged as a grassroots initiative and framed as a bold move to include the public in decision-making. And yet, its execution raises far more questions than it answers. There was no official oversight. No transparency about who voted, how many participated, or how the data was verified—if it was at all. Participants had to submit personal information to a party with known foreign ties.
Most notably, the question of Ukraine was quietly slipped into the end of a longer survey, with no context or explanation of the associated risks. In truth, it was a commissioned exercise—something made all the more obvious by how swiftly President Zelensky seized on the result to proclaim: “See? The Hungarians support Ukraine’s EU membership.” A remarkably transparent piece of political theater.
If the goal was genuine consultation, why avoid the full picture? Why omit the clear and pressing concerns? Ukraine’s accession is not some symbolic gesture. It carries consequences: billions redirected from Central European development, the dismantling of EU agricultural subsidies as Ukraine’s massive farmland enters the system, public health threats, and increased security risks from organized crime and weapons trafficking. Not to mention the political instability of fast-tracking a country still at war.
These are not fringe concerns. They are well-documented, widely discussed, and of direct relevance to Hungarian citizens. And yet, Tisza’s “referendum” passed over them in silence. Why?
Perhaps because the answer had already been decided. The party’s leadership has repeatedly voiced support for Ukraine’s accession, and its MEPs have publicly embraced Brussels’ agenda. What the vote offered was not a national conversation, but a tool to generate headlines. A figure. A claim that Hungarians “support” something they were never fully informed about.
Meanwhile, Voks 2025 gives the Hungarian people the opportunity to decide for themselves, something others would prefer to avoid. Every citizen receives a direct question, unfiltered and unambiguous, and is invited to respond through a process that is legal, verifiable, and backed by precedent. No need to give up personal data. No murky numbers. Just a clear opportunity to be counted.
Over 1 million have already voted. That figure alone reveals where public engagement truly lies.
What’s also clear is that some would prefer this question not to be asked at all. The same voices that celebrated the Tisza vote now cast doubt on Voks 2025, as if a national consultation were somehow dangerous. But if there is nothing to hide, why fear an honest answer?
The reality is simple. One vote asked people to sign off on a conclusion already drawn. The other trusts them to draw their own.
The stakes are high. Hungary’s future is on the table. And Voks 2025 ensures it stays in Hungarian hands.