Patterns of Political Culture in Hungary: Explanation and Implications of Stability and Changes

Based on representative surveys conducted annually in Hungary since 2022, we compare the patterns of interest in politics, the importance of various sources of information, trust in political institutions, particular forms and levels of political engagement, and questions concerning identity and values. Our findings confirm that family prevails as the primary forum for interpreting political issues and that the majority regards politics as of secondary importance behind family, work and free time. Television and radio are (still) important sources of information, but their importance is on the decline. While echo chamber theory is popular, our data suggest their limited effect as the majority – both in their interpersonal relations, and on various media platforms – have met political contents, which contradicted their conviction. Political institutions positioned above party politics continue to enjoy higher popular trust, but war and the resultant challenges have strengthened confidence in political actors in power, pushing the the government ahead of the most trusted constitutional institutions. Although the level of electoral participation has increased and remained high, other forms of political engagement did not experience similar trends. In addition, both those, who declared their participation in the past election and those, who promised to participate if elections were to be held on the forthcoming weekend were more numerous than the actual participation rates of the previous elections. Despite economic, technological and political changes, most people are still driven by their desire for financial and physical security.