Public Attitudes and Societal Influences on Hungarian Foreign Policy

Abstract This study examines Hungarian foreign policy attitudes and assesses the influence of public perceptions and societal interests on policymaking. Using theoretical frameworks, secondary sources and an opinion poll, it analyses Hungary’s foreign policy orientation since 2010, decision-making structures, the patterns of public perceptions and the impact of societal influences. Findings reveal a multi-layered model of foreign policy formation in which institutional centralisation, control over policy networks and dominance in communication enable the government to monopolise decision-making. This top-down control coexists with selective representation of public preferences and limited pluralism, allowing the government to pursue its strategic interests while maintaining the appearance of majority consensus. Theoretically, the article challenges the binary notion that democratic systems promote pluralism while autocracies suppress alternative policy ideas. Instead, it argues that Hungary’s competitive authoritarian regime represents a hybrid configuration in which diverse foreign policy preferences exist across both elites and the public, but have limited influence on policymaking due to high levels of centralisation and constrained participation.