Foreign Policy in Politics – How to bring Citizens and Parties Together (Hungary PAIRS)

In light of recent geopolitical changes, foreign policy has become increasingly relevant to Hungarians who engage in political discussion, and membership in NATO and the EU remain popular among the Hungarian population. These findings require political parties to adopt deliberate strategies aimed at understanding foreign policy preferences and build capacities to respond to voters’ concerns. The role of parties will become increasingly important as the country moves towards national elections in April 2022.

For that reason, IRI aims to provide quality research and support to political parties to incentivize increased adaptation to the interests of citizens. Fortified by its three-decade-long experience in engaging these issues in the field, IRI will be conducting a series of polls, focus groups, and trainings to help parties communicate and listen to their electorate and incorporate those policies into their party platforms. To further strengthen engagement between voters and Hungarian political parties, IRI will continue these activities after the elections, helping the parties to draw appropriate conclusions and lessons on how foreign policy preferences affected their performance in the elections.