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I skimmed couple of stuff on the internet, flipped couple of pages of books and I got the impression that while he was a diplomat to the bone, who wielded words like a sword, and was a schemer, a central figure in the Court's intrigue he did believe in traditions, in the conservatism of his era, in Christianity (despite being a womanizer apparently), and the enlightened absolutism (although Francis' absolutism was way less enlightened than some previous notable monarchs). He probably wasn't really a cynic, but he thought about the new ideas as silly fads of the youngsters or some such. Most importantly he did not felt ill towards Hungarians or the Kingdom of Hungary - unlike the Czech Kollowrat. I found his comments to various people about his visits of the 1925-27 Diet (the Hungarian legislation) amusing. Lemme quote him: actually forces me to change my language and my robes. I have to speak Latin and dress like a Hussar, and the only liberty which I take on this occasion is a refusal to wear moustaches Fun depiction of Hungarian noble fashion. And: Today I am traveling back and forth between the two capitals, happily no farther from each other than two London suburbs; in one I am a German and in the other a Hungarian; a strange fate. The two capitals he meant Vienna and Pozsony (Pressburg), where the assembly assembled in those years. He did fear Hungarian nationalism tho, but not liberal and socialist notions. Even in case of the moderate Count Széchenyi, he felt suspicion and utilized the secret police to shadow him, just in case. His views also blindsided him, for he saw that the Hungarian nobility as a whole was even more conservative than himself (he even considered the Estates of Hungary as a support of the king), but never considered that the rest of the society will demand a change, with the leadership of couple of key figures from the reform-nobility.