Posted on 10/02/2016 2:27:16 PM PDT by wtd
Hungarians who voted in a referendum on Sunday have overwhelmingly rejected mandatory EU migrant quotas, the national election office has said.
But exit polls suggest that turnout failed to reach the 50% needed for the result to be valid.
With nearly all the votes counted, 98% rejected the quotas, officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
He urged EU decision makers to take note of the result and said he would change Hungary's constitution to make the decision binding.
The EU plan to relocate 160,000 migrants across the bloc would mean Hungary receiving 1,294 asylum seekers.
During last year's migrant crisis, Hungary became a transit state on the Western Balkan route to Germany and other EU destinations.
In an effort to curb the influx, it sealed its border with Serbia and Croatia. The measure was popular at home but criticised by human rights groups.
The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest says that if the poll is declared invalid it would be a disappointing result for Mr Orban's Fidesz government following months of mobilisation and an expensive campaign. Opposition supporters rallied in Budapest on Sunday
Voters were asked: "Do you want the European Union to be able to mandate the obligatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens into Hungary even without the approval of the National Assembly?"
Shortly after voting, Mr Orban said: "Hungarians are aware of what is at the stake. And it's important because it's not about the will of the government, it's not the intention of the parliament. It's the voice and will of the people - that's most important."
The EU proposal was meant to ease pressure on Greece and Italy, the main entry points for migrants and refugees into the bloc.
In December Hungary filed a court challenge against the EU plan, which would see relocations over two years.
TWIMC, in 15th century, Poland and Hungary formed the Catholic union of The Three Seas (Miedzymorze), also called The Jagiellonian Union (read: yagiellonian, not dzhagiellonian!) in mid-millennium. It stretched between The Baltic, The Black and The Adriatic Seas and was the biggest European superpower ever.
From Poland with Love.
Never forgotten evergreen; the best of Hungary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPLHkhZ3Tq0
Köszönöm!
Media propaganda and exit poll failed big time.
The EU loses another referendum. From the EU Constitution to Brexit to today’s result in Hungary. When the People get to decide regarding the EU they choose freedom over European bureaucracy.
Expect Hungary to leave the EU.
I saw it (mostly Pest--Peschst) BEFORE all the night lights and it was STILL a marvelous city! I'd go back in a New York minute.
We didn't get to cross the Danube to the other side though I took a lunch cruise on the Danube and it was SO nice.
Hungary, build the wall and have Muslims pay for it. Hungarians sure know what the EU is...they lived under it for 50 years.
I was there for holidays in 1986. It was in times of Communism. We (me and a group of my fellow students) went there for a couple of weeks to hitch-hike Hungary and to see the concert of Queen and the first F1 racing behind the Iron Curtain, Hungaroring. Both were excellent.
The languages may be completely different, yet we Poles and Hungarians have something unique deep within to communicate and till the present day, Hungarians feel in Poland like at home, and vice versa.
Btw, in 1986 Hungary was the only country in the world we didn’t need visa to visit. This speaks for itself.
This always touches me to tears; one of those anonymous heads in the audience is mine :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cTiLQiSsoE
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