According to a recent poll conducted by the Nézőpont Institute on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the German occupation, the majority of Hungarians believe that if there had not been German occupation, the Second World War would have been less destructive for Hungary (71 percent) and the Hungarian Jews would not have been deported (65 percent). Regardless of party affiliation, the majority of Hungarians believe that Hungary would not have suffered such a heavy sacrifice if it had been able to preserve its sovereignty.

19 March marks the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Hungary by the Nazi Germany in the Second World War, an event that reminds us of the value of our country’s sovereignty. On that day, Hungary lost its sovereignty and the occupiers were able to impose their will without limit: Hungary became a devastating battlefield for a long time and the deportation of the Hungarian Jews, who had managed to avoid deportation until then, began. On the occasion of the anniversary of the occupation, the Nézőpont Institute has conducted a survey to find out what Hungarians think about the historical consequences of the loss of sovereignty.

After the German occupation, Hungary could not avoid becoming a battlefield of the Second World War. However, 71 percent of Hungarians agree that if there had not been German occupation, the Second World War would have been less destructive for Hungary, and only 14 percent think that the war would not have been less destructive for Hungary in any other way. Regardless of party affiliation, there is a unity on the issue, as not only the majority of pro-government voters (75 percent) but also the majority of left-wing voters (69 percent) believe that there would have been less destruction in Hungary if it had been able to preserve its sovereignty.

Following the German occupation, an unprecedented series of tragedies began with the deportation of the Hungarian Jews. However, two thirds of Hungarians (65 percent) believe that this would not have happened if Hungary had been able to preserve its sovereignty, and only 19 percent believe that it would have happened in the same way without the occupation. The majority of both pro-government voters (73 percent) and left-wing voters (60 percent) believe that the Hungarian Jews would not have been deported if there had not been German occupation, although the proportion of those who believe that the tragedy of the Hungarian Jews would have happened even if the Hungarian state had not been under direct German control is higher among left-wing voters (27 percent) than among pro-government voters (11 percent).

Methodology

The latest opinion-poll of the Nézőpont Institute was conducted between 11 and 13 of March by interviewing 1,000 respondents by phone. For all surveys, the sample is representative of the adult population (18 years and older) by gender, age, region, type of settlement and education. In case of a sample size of 1000 respondents and a confidence level of 95 percent, the margin of sampling error is ± 3.16 percent. Respondent base = Hungarian voters, respondents who are willing to participate in the elections.