BUDAPEST, Jan 15 Hungarian government reveals details of national consultation results about anti-Russian sanctions, where 97% of the almost 1.4 million participants spoke out against the restrictions.
Earlier, the Hungarian government reported that an average of 97% of the participants in the consultation «rejected sanctions that cause serious harm.» According to the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers, Budapest expects that Brussels will listen to the unequivocal results of the consultation and take measures to revise the sanctions policy, from which the European economy is suffering.
According to statistics published on the Hungarian government's Facebook account*, «Brussels sanctions on oil» are not supported by 97.5% of respondents. 97.6% each do not agree with the sanctions related to the supply of gas, fuel elements for nuclear reactors, and sanctions that caused an increase in food prices.
Among those who took part in the consultation, 97.4% did not agree with the sanctions related to the supply of raw materials (coal, timber from the Russian Federation — ed.), and 97.3% opposed the sanctions extended to investments in the construction of the Paks nuclear power plant.
Finally, 96.3% of the participants did not agree with the sanctions that led to restrictions in the tourism sector.
The total number of Hungarian citizens who took part in the consultation amounted to 1,389,000 people.
The government noted that 84% sent completed questionnaires by mail, and 16% completed questionnaires online.
National consultation in Hungary lasted from October 14 to December 15, citizens were asked to express their attitude towards sanctions against energy carriers from the Russian Federation and sanctions that caused a decrease in the number of Russian tourists and an increase in food prices. Unlike referendums, national consultations do not have a turnout threshold.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the end of September that the country was the first in Europe to launch a national consultation to find out the opinion of citizens on EU sanctions against Russia. He called on all citizens of the country to express their opinion during the national consultation and thus «put an end» to the increase in energy prices caused by the sanctions «imposed by Brussels on the EU countries.» According to him, prices in Europe would fall by half in a few days if the EU changed the sanctions policy.
The West increased sanctions pressure on Russia over Ukraine, which led to an increase in prices for electricity, fuel and food in Europe and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that the policy of containment and weakening of Russia is a long-term strategy of the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy. According to him, the main goal of the West is to worsen the lives of millions of people. The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that Russia will solve all the problems that the West creates for it.
*Meta activity (social networks Facebook, Instagram) is banned in Russia as extremist