No. 6 (28/02/97)

Public opinion about the IFOR troops stationed in Hungary and about the Hungarian participation in the peace maintenance in Bosnia in December 1996

In December 1996 the Hungarian Gallup Institute carried out public opinion research on a sample of 1007 people representing the whole of Hungary's adult population and on a sample of 297 people living in the settlements affected by the IFOR bases and on the convoy route of the troops.
In the following we give a summary of the results of this public opinion research.

The opinion of the inhabitants of the country

In February 1996 almost everybody (97%) knew in Hungary that Hungarian soldiers are taking part in the Peace keeping actions in Bosnia. The proportion of the people who knew that NATO troops were stationed in Hungary in the frame of IFOR was the same.
In February 1996 51% of Hungarian inhabitants knew that Hungarian technical soldiers took part in the NATO's peace making in Bosnia and 58% of them approved of it. In February it was objected to by 37%, in December it was objected to by 25%. Among those who had a firm opinion the proportion of the supporters and objectors was 57:43% in February and 70:30% in December.
The fact that NATO troops were stationed in Hungary in the framework of IFOR was approved by 49% of the people in February 1996 and by 53% in December. It was objected to by 39% in February and by 33% in December.
Among those who had a firm opinion the proportion of the supporters and objectors was 55:45% in February and 62:38% in December. 78% of those who were asked gave a firm judgement to the question how successful they thought Hungary's participation was in supporting the work of the IFOR troops stationed here: 22% of them gave a mark five, 37% gave a four, 29% gave a three, 7% gave a two and 5% gave a one. So a decisive majority of the people find that Hungary's role is successful.
Gallup also asked the people whether their opinion had changed in the past 12 months about whether it is good for us or not that IFOR troops are stationed in Hungary. 82% of the people had a firm opinion about the question:
          - 50% approved earlier and still approve,
          - 32% objected earlier and still object,
          - 10% objected earlier and approve now,
          - 7% approved earlier and object now.
So the number of those whose opinion changed positively in the past 12 months is higher.
A relative majority of the people (44%) found that the press, the radio and the television gave a real picture about the IFOR troops stationed in Hungary, 23% thought that they gave a picture which was better that reality, 9% thought that the picture given was worse and 24% thought both this and that.
63% of the Hungarian inhabitants have heard about that the Bosnian mission of the peace maintenance forces would be prolonged.
52% of the Hungarians approve of the Hungarian soldiers taking part in the Bosnian peace maintenance for another 12-18 months and it is objected to by 33%. 50% approve of the stationing of the NATO troops taking part in the Bosnian peace maintenance being prolonged in Hungary and it is objected to by 39%.
80% of the people have a firm opinion about how Hungarian participation in IFOR and SFOR is connected to Hungary's NATO accession. 64% of them think that it accelerates our NATO accession and 36% think that it has no effect on the process of accession.
Compared to the results of the research carried out in November the judgement of Hungarian people about the NATO accession has changed, the proportion of supporters has increased and the proportion of objectors has decreased. In December 50.2% of the inhabitants were for the accession and 28.2% were against it. The proportion of those who were indecisive was 21.6%.

The opinion of the local inhabitants

The opinion of the local inhabitants (Kaposvár, Taszár, Pécs, etc.) affected more directly is more favourable about the IFOR troops stationed in Hungary.
57% of the local inhabitants have a positive opinion and 22% of them have a negative opinion about the IFOR troops, 21% have no firm standpoints. 41% of those who were asked had met the IFOR soldiers personally in their town.
79-80% of the local inhabitants have formed a concrete opinion on the soldiers stationed here. 88% of them think that the IFOR soldiers are well-behaved, 67% think that they take care of the environment, 87% think that they pay attention to have good relations with the inhabitants, 84% think that it is not true that they look down on Hungarians, but rather the opposite: 89% think that they are friendly with Hungarians.
Most of the local inhabitants (86%) are of the opinion that Hungarians are not hostile with the IFOR soldiers either. Only 22% of those who have a firm opinion think that their stay hurts Hungary's independence and 78% think that it is not hurt at all.
A relative majority of the local inhabitants (41%) think that the stationing of IFOR troops in Hungary has more advantages than disadvantages, 15% do not know the exact answer.
90% of the local inhabitants have a firm opinion about whether the presence of the IFOR troops is good from the aspect of their safety, 60% feel that they are safer, 40% think that they are not any safer because IFOR troops are stationed nearby.