The Analysis of Hungarian Security Perception

Abstract

This study aims to introduce how Hungarians think about security, defence and military-related issues. Besides, this study is also an attempt to contextualise social perceptions with the security perception of those defence policy professionals who are participating in the formulation of Hungarian defence policy within the Hungarian Ministry of Defence. The Hungarian society perceives climate change and uncontrolled migration as equally threatening for the security of the country, whereas Hungarian defence policy professionals are more concerned with the issues of uncontrolled migration, international terrorism and hybrid threats. Both the broader Hungarian society and defence policy professionals are committed to the country’s alliance system. They are ready to support attacked allies with military means and they perceive the other V4 member states, the US and Germany as key military partners. On the one hand, Hungarian society is strongly in favour of establishing joint European military structures, even if this would mean delegating governance competences to the EU. On the other hand, the opinions of defence policy professionals are rather diverging on this issue. The majority of society would either keep the defence budget at current level or increase it even further. The defence community is strongly in favour of the recent increase of Hungarian defense expenditures.