BUDAPEST: Hungary on Friday published a national consultation survey asking citizens to agree or disagree with the government's opposition to European Union sanctions against Russia over its war of Ukraine.
"We believe that the sanctions are destroying us," reads a statement on the government's Facebook page, where the taxpayer-funded survey comprising seven questions is published.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has sought close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years, has frequently railed against the sanctions.
He argues they are hurting Europe more than Russia by endangering energy supplies and price stability.
Budapest, highly dependent on Russian oil and gas and currently seeing record inflation, has already secured an exemption from EU sanctions on Russian crude oil imports via pipelines.
It has also bought additional quantities of Russian gas since the start of the war in February.
Earlier on Friday, Orban slammed "the European elite" for deciding on the sanctions -- although they were approved by all EU members, including Hungary.
"We always ask people the most important questions... have always tried to create a national consensus on certain issues," he said during his regular radio interview, referring to the survey.
The survey has no legal implications, but since 2015, Orban's right-wing government has often used such questionnaires, backed by extensive multimedia campaigns, to gain legitimacy for its stances and denounce EU policies.
The latest questionnaire, titled "About the Brussels Sanctions", will be sent out nationwide to Hungary's estimated eight million households, with respondents asked to return them by December 9.
One question asks if respondents agree with potential sanctions on Russian gas supplies imposed by "Brussels leaders" that would "put at risk household heating and the European economy's ability to operate".
A question on the impact of sanctions on price levels, particularly food prices, blames the measures for spiralling inflation, "increasing the risk of starvation in developing countries" which "leads to increasing migration pressure" on Europe's borders. -- AFP
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