Overview

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán revealed plans to conduct a national consultation on Ukraine's potential European Union membership.
• The survey, which will not be legally binding, is a political tool Orbán has used previously to align public opinion with his government’s agenda.
• Orbán has criticized EU financial support for Ukraine, claiming it would harm Europe’s economy, and he has positioned Hungary as a potential veto on Ukraine's EU accession.
• At an EU emergency summit, Hungary was the only member state to withhold endorsement of a joint statement supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia.
• Orbán's government has faced criticism for using such consultations as propaganda, with opposition groups arguing the surveys are designed to produce government-favored outcomes.