CEU offensive costs Hungary's Orbán, Áder popularity points

The paper has run the story under the witty headline “Universal Decline", suggesting that the drop in the popularity of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party is linked to Orbán’s decision to launch a frontal attack against Central European University (CEU).

The latest front in his offensive has just been opened, by calling to life a special working group tasked with scrutinising the residence and work permits of those working (teaching) at CEU.

The poll was conducted between April 21 and 26, i.e. way after the launch of the offensive against CEU that infuriated the international academic community, triggered outcry from European and American politicians, Nobel Laureates, universities and other organisations, and put tens of thousands of protesters to Budapest streets several times.

As for the opposition parties, far-right nationalist Jobbik was the strongest voter-magnet, having boosted its approval rating to 14% from 10% in January. At the end of April, 24% of the electorate would have voted for the other opposition parties, which marks a four percentage point increase over January (20%).