The Development of the Ideology of Euroscepticism in the Hungarian Republic in the XXI-st Century

This article is about how Euroscepticism has developed in modern Hungary. After the communist regime fell in Hungary, one of the new governments top foreign policy priorities was to "reunite" Hungary with the rest of Europe. European integration was associated with modernization, the spread of Western values, and the establishment of a high standard of living in the country with European salaries and a stable economy. There was a unique consensus among the Hungarian political elite on the need for the country to join the European Union. However, after Hungary joined the European Union in 2004, the proportion of Hungarian citizens with a negative attitude towards the EU increased sharply. The reasons for the emergence of Euroscepticism in Hungary can be divided into pragmatic and ideological ones. After joining the EU, when economic expectations were not met, the disappointment of Hungarian citizens increased significantly. The 2008 economic crisis, which hit the Hungarian economy hard, also played a key role in the development of Euroscepticism. The EUs ineffective crisis management provided fertile ground for the growth in popularity of Eurosceptics. Hungarian Eurosceptics oppose the EU because they are convinced that it threatens the countrys independence and pushes it towards "colonial" status.