{"id":4148,"date":"2026-01-19T04:41:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T03:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.planetfanatics.hu\/?p=4148"},"modified":"2026-01-30T04:46:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T03:46:21","slug":"tolerance-index-2025-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planetfanatics.hu\/en\/news\/tolerance-index-2025-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Tolerance Index 2025 \u2013 Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"
Author: Melinda Vida<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n
\n
Based on the research data, we identified seven characteristic personas. Through their stories, we can better understand how the noise of national politics and the weight of the economic crisis manifest in everyday life.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
In Part I of the Tolerance Index 2025, we presented the general attitudes of Hungarian society. But behind the statistics stand real people. After analysing the demographic and attitudinal data, we now introduce the \u201cseven affected individuals.\u201d They come from very different backgrounds, yet share one thing: all of them feel the shifting mood of society on their own skin\u2014though their wounds and coping strategies differ greatly.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n

On the Front Line: Eszter and Luca<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Those who suffer exclusion because of fundamental parts of their identity are in the most difficult position.<\/p>\n

Eszter \u2013 The Excluded Intellectual<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Eszter, a university\u2011educated Roma woman in her thirties living in Budapest, could be a symbol of social mobility\u2014yet she constantly hits invisible walls. She is the only persona whose group reported 100% experiencing negative attitudes<\/strong>, identifying ethnicity<\/strong> as the primary reason (75%).<\/p>\n

Eszter has the darkest outlook: 65%<\/strong> of her group feels society is not accepting at all<\/em>. For her, politics is not an abstract concept but a direct threat: 100%<\/strong> cite political and public communication as the main cause of declining tolerance.<\/p>\n

Luca \u2013 The LGBTQ+ Youth<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Luca, a young LGBTQ+ adult in her mid\u2011twenties living in a small town, finds her rural environment the greatest challenge. Although she openly and proudly embraces her identity (91% in her group selected this trait), the feeling of rejection is deepest here<\/strong>:
\n41%<\/strong> feel their immediate environment is not accepting at all<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Luca faces disadvantages not only due to her sexual orientation (50%) but also her political views (41%)\u2014suggesting that in smaller towns the labels \u201cliberal\u201d and \u201cLGBTQ\u201d often merge into a single target for exclusion.<\/p>\n

\n

The Fighters and the Paradoxes: Katalin and Elena<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some must confront multiple layers of disadvantage, while others experience surprising forms of protection.<\/p>\n

Katalin \u2013 The Colleague Living with a Disability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Katalin, a woman in her forties from a large city, represents the \u201crealistic fighter.\u201d Her story is also one of economic survival. Though she faces daily discrimination (89% have experienced negative attitudes), the worsening living conditions<\/strong> (61%) weigh most heavily on her perception of declining tolerance.<\/p>\n

Katalin is active\u2014many in her group are entrepreneurs or employees of SMEs\u2014but stress and overload<\/strong> (56%) burden her nearly as much as prejudice.<\/p>\n

Elena \u2013 The Cosmopolitan Expat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Elena, also in her forties, is a foreign\u2011born woman living in Budapest and embodies the research\u2019s most striking paradox. While 100%<\/strong> of her group has experienced negative attitudes, 62%<\/strong> still feel Hungarian society is generally accepting of them.<\/p>\n

How is this possible? Likely because Elena lives in the \u201cBudapest bubble\u201d and works in an international environment, which provides a protective shield. For her, the causes of exclusion are split equally between political opinions (44%) and foreign background (44%)\u2014meaning she is often targeted not for being foreign, but for being a \u201cliberal foreigner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

The Power of Community: S\u00e1ra and Tam\u00e1s<\/strong><\/h2>\n

These two personas illustrate how community belonging or successful assimilation can soften the experience of exclusion.<\/p>\n

S\u00e1ra \u2013 A Member of the Jewish Community<\/strong><\/h3>\n

S\u00e1ra, a 35\u2011year\u2011old woman from a religious minority, has faced discrimination due to her faith (56%), yet among minority groups she is the one who feels society is the most accepting of her. Her community and faith provide a strong identity that buffers external hostility.<\/p>\n

She is socially highly sensitive, placing exceptional importance on supporting people with disabilities. However, her tolerance is selective: she remains sceptical about immigrants and is more cautious about interfaith marriages than other minority groups.<\/p>\n

Tam\u00e1s \u2013 The \u201cModel Citizen\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tam\u00e1s, a man in his late forties from a large rural town and a member of a national minority, is perceived as a \u201cmodel citizen\u201d by the majority. He strongly identifies as Hungarian (90%), is family\u2011oriented, and his environment shows the highest acceptance rate (76% \u201crather yes\u201d).<\/p>\n

Although he also experiences negative attitudes, his strategy of blending in\u2014adopting majority societal values\u2014appears successful in everyday life.<\/p>\n

\n

The Anxiety of the Majority: Zsuzsanna<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Zsuzsanna \u2013 Representative of the Majority Population<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Finally, we have Zsuzsanna, a woman in her late fifties from a small town, representing those who \u201cdo not belong to any minority group.\u201d One might assume she is fully protected\u2014but the data says otherwise.
\n79%<\/strong> of the majority population have also felt negative attitudes toward them, most often due to political views (22%).<\/p>\n

Zsuzsanna generally feels safe (60% find their environment accepting), yet political polarisation and economic insecurity (54%) make her feel that the world is deteriorating around her. Although she identifies as liberal, she exhibits the strongest hidden biases<\/strong> toward Roma people and immigrants.<\/p>\n

\n

A Portrait of a Fragmented Society<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The combined stories of these seven personas paint a picture of a deeply divided Hungary, where tolerance is no longer merely a minority issue.<\/p>\n

Politics as the Universal Enemy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whether it is excluded Eszter, expat Elena, or majority Zsuzsanna, one point of total agreement emerges: political and public communication are seen as the greatest threat to social peace.<\/strong>
\nThis insight cuts across all social groups.<\/p>\n

Economic Anxiety and Scapegoating<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The research shows that tolerance becomes a luxury in times of economic hardship. Katalin and Zsuzsanna\u2019s stories illustrate how worsening living conditions<\/strong> directly correlate with impatience and social tension. Increasing stress amplifies insecurities and frustrations\u2014often taken out on others.<\/p>\n

The Strategy of Bubbles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Findings suggest that survival in today\u2019s Hungary depends on the ability to create protective \u201cbubbles.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Those who manage to build strong micro\u2011communities\u2014like S\u00e1ra within her religious community or Elena in the Budapest expat environment\u2014remain relatively protected.<\/li>\n
  • Those who stand \u201cin the open,\u201d without such support\u2014like Luca, the rural LGBTQ+ youth, or Eszter, the Roma intellectual\u2014become lightning rods for societal tension.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Yet the most striking contradiction lies in self\u2011identification<\/strong>, which fundamentally challenges exclusionary narratives. Although ethnic minorities face the highest levels of discrimination, they identify as Hungarian at a higher rate (100%)<\/strong> than both the majority population (85%) and national minorities (90%).<\/p>\n

    Unexpected Bridges<\/strong><\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Commitment to women\u2019s rights<\/strong> serves as a hidden bridge between the excluded ethnic minority group (75%), the liberal LGBTQ+ community (73%), and religious minorities (69%).<\/li>\n
    • Environmental consciousness<\/strong> also unites diverse groups\u2014from the \u201ccosmopolitan\u201d foreigner (75%), to the more conservative national minority respondent (62%), and the safety\u2011seeking majority (66%).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Despite political and economic divides, the value systems and identities held by individuals\u2014from Hungarian national identity to green thinking\u2014form a more coherent fabric than public conflict narratives suggest.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Diversity as a Value<\/strong><\/h1>\n

      At Planet Fanatics\u2019 Network, as a sustainability advisory firm, our mission is to help uncover the hidden barriers to effective collaboration within organisations. Through our employee workshops, we support teams in moving beyond instinctive reactions and truly embracing diversity as a value\u2014one that also enhances organisational performance.<\/p>\n

      If you are interested in the detailed evaluation of the research, the persona\u2011specific study, or if you would like support in addressing and reducing unconscious biases within your organisation, please contact us at:
      \n\ud83d\udce7 mail@planetfanatics.hu<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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