Euroscepticism: attitudes in Poland and Hungary towards the EU in 2022

Throughout the 2010s, Poland and Hungary have been the member states of the European Union which have been most opposed to European integration and the policies of the EU institutions. Fidesz, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, have ruled Hungary since the 2010 general election, while PiS (Law & Justice), led by party chairman Jarosław Kaczyński, have been in power in Poland since winning the 2015 parliamentary election. Both parties have been associated with the Eurosceptic far-right, although this position has been developed while in government, as Fidesz were previously a more conventional Christian democratic party, being associated with the center-right European People's Party until 2021, when it was expelled from the grouping for its far-right leanings. PiS has moved to in recent years from a more mainstream center-right perspective towards a social nationalism, which merges support for greater state intervention in the economy and social welfare, with a soft euroscepticism which opposes further European integration, claiming it is against Poland's interests.

Euroscepticism and polarization in Central & Eastern Europe

Euroscepticism in these CEE countries is very much divided between supporters of the governing parties, who tend to be more skeptical, and non-supporters, who tend to be very pro-EU. Even among PiS supporters, euroscepticism is not entirely dominant, as supporters of the Polish government still firmly believe that the EU promotes democracy, peace and prosperity. Nevertheless, on all issues PiS supporters are much more skeptical of the EU that non-PiS supporters in Poland. Fidesz supporters on the other hand appear to be far more hardline in their euroscepticism, as they show strong majorities believing that the EU treats Hungary unfairly, does not respect Hungarian values, and doesn't understand the needs of Hungarians. Even so, these issues with the EU appear to be more about the policies of EU institutions than the idea of a European Union, as a majority of Fidesz-supporting respondents also agree that the EU promotes peace, prosperity and democracy.