Euroscepticism in Hungary: Real Public Sentiment or Strategy of Political Elites?

Abstract

Euroscepticism has become an important phenomenon in modern European politics, expressing a critical and contradictory attitude towards the process of integration into the European Union. In recent decades, Euroscepticism has moved from a marginal political position to an important part of European political discourse, and today it is often used as a political tool to strengthen the narrative of protecting national sovereignty, identity, and economic interests. In this regard, Hungary represents an interesting case, where the Eurosceptic rhetoric of the ruling political elites and the real sentiments of the public differ. Historically, the formation of Euroscepticism in Hungary dates back to the 1990s, when political parties put forward issues of national sovereignty and ethno-nationalist identity. After Hungary acceded to the European Union in 2004, there was a broad political consensus in the country in favor of European integration, but the economic difficulties that intensified in the mid-2000s, the coming to power of “Fidesz” after 2010, and the migration crisis of 2015 contributed to the strengthening of critical discourse towards the European Union in Hungary. As a result, today, “Fidesz” presents the European Union as a competitor to Hungary’s national interests and promotes the creation of “European nations” where supranational power will be reduced. This paper aims to analyze the forms and driving factors of Euroscepticism in Hungary and, based on a comparative analysis of the rhetoric of political elites and public sentiments, to clarify the following issue: Is Euroscepticism in Hungary a structurally formed public attitude or a political strategy constructed by the ruling elites? The paper is based on a qualitative research methodology and uses the Rhetorical Political Analysis (RPA) approach as a theoretical framework, which considers Eurosceptic discourse not only as a set of opinions about the European Union, but also as a strategic, situational practice that determines the social distance between political players (Orbán/Fidesz) and various audiences. This theoretical framework emphasizes how politicians deliberately increase or decrease the distance to the European Union, in parallel with distancing themselves from the positions of local voters. RPA is characterized by taking into account the temporal and spatial context and studying the specific situation. For example, such events in the paper are the post-2015 migration crisis, EU sanctions, and the war in Ukraine. This circumstance allows us to see how the rhetoric of Viktor Orbán and “Fidesz” changes in response to external events, in the wake of maintaining sovereignty. In addition, RPA clearly demonstrates the dual nature of “Fidesz”, which can sometimes correspond to forms of soft (calling for EU reform) and hard (threatening Hungary’s exit from the EU) Euroscepticism at the same time. In short, RPA offers a comprehensive, multidimensional analysis that can explain why Eurosceptic messages are created, how they are delivered to the public, and what effect they have on the Hungarian political arena. The research uses the analysis of statements and discourse of the ruling political elites of Hungary, especially “Fidesz” and Viktor Orbán, as well as a systematic review of academic literature and secondary data from empirical public opinion studies. Discourse analysis allowed us to assess how skeptical narratives towards the European Union are constructed in Hungary and in what linguistic form they are delivered to the public. At the same time, the research relies on a comparative analysis method, which examines the differences between the rhetoric of elites and public sentiments in Hungary, which ensures a complex assessment of the function and dynamics of Euroscepticism. The main findings of the study show that Euroscepticism in Hungary is mainly a discourse formulated and strategically used by the ruling political elites, while a significant part of the public still positively assesses EU membership, especially in terms of economic benefits and the country’s stability. The analysis of the paper reveals that the rhetoric of Viktor Orbán and “Fidesz” presents the European Union as a challenge to national sovereignty, cultural identity, and economic security, which serves to mobilize voters and strengthen internal political legitimacy. In conclusion, the study indicates that Euroscepticism in Hungary is more of a political strategy constructed by elites than a widespread public sentiment. Accordingly, the Eurosceptic discourse in Hungary is formed from top to bottom and is used as an important instrument of political governance.