Hungary should decide on Ukraine's EU bid via referendum, Orban's rival says

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add the "Voice of the Nation" poll results.

Hungary should hold a referendum on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, opposition leader Peter Magyar said on April 13, pledging to restore Hungary's credibility within NATO and the EU, Reuters reported.

Magyar, who plans to challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the 2026 elections, said he would initiate a binding referendum on Ukrainian EU membership if elected — when the exact conditions of Kyiv's entry emerge.

Orban has been broadly seen as the most Moscow-friendly leader in the EU during Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. The Hungarian prime minister has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU aid packages for Kyiv and warned that Ukraine's membership in the bloc would "destroy" Hungary.

Despite the government's resistance, recent polling shows public support for Ukraine's accession. According to the party of Magyar Tisza's "Voice of the Nation" initiative, which received over 1.1 million responses, 58.18% of participants backed Ukraine's EU bid.

A separate April 7 poll by the Republikon Institute also found a narrow majority of Hungarians in favor of Ukraine joining the bloc.

Orban's government nevertheless plans to carry out its own national consultation on the issue. These non-binding opinion surveys, often criticized for biased wording and low turnout, have become a hallmark of Orban's administration.

A 2023 consultation on migration, for instance, asked voters whether they supported Brussels' alleged plan to create "migrant ghettos" in Hungary. Less than 20% participated, but 99% of respondents voted "no."

Magyar has positioned himself in contrast to Orban's policies, promising to reset Hungary's foreign relations and end what he calls the government's isolation from the West.

"Hungary will again be a proud and reliable NATO ally. Hungary will again be a fully-fledged member of the EU," he told supporters.

Magyar visited Kyiv on July 11, 2024. His party raised about 15 million forints (around $41,000) for humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Kyiv applied for EU membership in 2022 and was granted candidate status within months. Accession talks began in June 2024, with EU leaders aiming for potential entry by 2030.

Hungary's veto power as an EU member allows it to unilaterally delay or block further steps in the process.

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The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek