State Secretary Zoltan Kovács has announced that nearly 700,000 voters have so far returned their National Consultation survey questionnaires in which the government is canvassing the public on their opinions regarding the economic problems caused by war-related sanctions.
In an interview with Magyar Nemzet, the state secretary said that the Hungarian public has been asked about the impact of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions the European Union introduced against Russia. Concerning the consultations, Kovács said western Europe “does not understand the system” because “they no longer have the routine of asking voters for feedback between elections,” adding that “voters’ opinion is not as important” in those countries. The Hungarian government, however, “clearly sees that policymaking based on national interests requires continuous feedback from the people rather than just once in four years, at the general elections”. The government’s surveys “allow everyone an opportunity to put their position forward.” “They have a say on whether they agree with what is going on around the energy sanctions and they can also express their approval of the government’s position”, Kovács said.