67 per cent of Hungarian adults support the fuel price cap recently introduced by the Hungarian government, a new poll by the Századvég polling firm has found.
On 9 March, the Orbán administration announced that it is introducing price control measures, and capping the price of a litre of gasoline at 595 HUF ($1.73), while the price of a litre of diesel fuel is capped at 615 HUF ($1.79). However, the price-capped fuel can only be sold to vehicles with Hungarian licence plates.
In the Századvég poll, 94 per cent of respondents said that they have heard of the fuel price cap. 67 per cent said they support it, 30 per cent opposed, while 3 per cent declined to answer. The poll had a sample size of 1,000 Hungarian adults.
‘The price cap provided a discount of more than 20 forints compared to market prices right from the start. However, more importantly, it eliminated uncertainty about future fuel costs. This is likely the reason for the measure’s popularity: 67 per cent of Hungarians support the price cap,’ Századvég wrote in their press release about their new poll.
The US–Israeli strikes on Iran have caused crude oil and natural gas prices to jump on the international commodities markets. Furthermore, the Ukrainian government has been refusing to restart the Druzhba pipeline since late January; while the EU leadership in Brussels, Belgium is not willing to temporarily lift the sanctions on Russian energy imports, unlike the Trump administration in the United States. All these factors contributed to the energy crisis, which prompted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary’s government to respond with price control measures to protect the Hungarian consumer. Hungary has also released part of its strategic oil reserves.
The most prominent Hungarian opposition party Tisza, led by MEP Péter Magyar, is struggling to come up with a counternarrative to the popular government measure.
Less than a month away from the Hungarian parliamentary election, Tisza has the perception of being associated with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen among many Hungarian voters. These associations are mostly based on Tisza's membership of the European People's Party (EPP) parliamentary group in the European Parliament; and are magnified by the campaign messaging of PM Orbán's Fidesz party. Both Ukraine and the EU are in part at fault for the energy crisis in Europe.
Related articles:
At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and superficial, Hungarian Conservative remains committed to depth, intellectual honesty, and independent conservative thought.
Producing high-quality journalism requires resources. Your contribution helps us expand our coverage, reach new audiences, and keep our content accessible.
Please consider supporting our mission.
