Heightened Anti-Immigration Sentiments Among Hungarians in Transylvania
A recent survey conducted in Transylvania has revealed that Hungarians in the region demonstrate stronger anti-immigration and anti-Western sentiments compared to the Romanian average. The survey, conducted by the Balványos Institute and reported by the news portal Maszol.ro, explored the perspectives of both Hungarians and Romanians in Transylvania on various issues, including attitudes towards refugees, electoral participation, party preferences, and trust in institutions.
The researchers found that Hungarians in Transylvania exhibited a clearer differentiation between refugees of European origin and non-European, non-white-skinned refugees. The rejection of immigrants among Hungarians in Transylvania had increased since 2020, while rejection of Roma had also risen among this group. In contrast, Romanian society as a whole saw a decrease in the percentage of those unwilling to accept immigrants as neighbors.
Additionally, the survey revealed a decline in trust in institutions among Hungarians in Transylvania, with the exception of local governments. Trust in the EU had also decreased among this group over the years. The study also examined the electoral mood among Hungarians in Transylvania, linking their heightened electoral enthusiasm to intensified campaigning by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) since autumn.
In terms of perceptions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the survey found a decrease in the proportion of respondents identifying Russia as the aggressor, while those attributing the conflict to Western countries and Ukraine increased. Overall, the survey highlighted significant differences in attitudes and opinions between Hungarians and Romanians in Transylvania on a range of social and political issues.
