Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government called for a referendum regarding mandatory European quotas for asylum seekers. Hungary’s citizens are set to vote on Sunday for the referendum to oppose future EU mandatory quotas.
A 50 percent plus-one ruling threshold applies in order for the referendum to be valid. Conversely, the government is certain to received positive support amongst voters, but uncertain if it will meet the threshold.
The voting ballots are straight to the point; it states “”Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?”
Orban urged Hungarian citizens to vote “NO”. Considering that the EU’s policy for imposing such quotas is in contradiction to Hungary’s sovereignty and independence.
Orban said that when the referendum reaches majority, Hungary’s Parliament will pass legislation for valid selection regardless of the outcome. On the other hand, if the “YES” votes won, he will resign as Prime Minister. Critics foresee Orban’s statement as a publicity ploy to draw more citizens to the polling votes.
Meanwhile, the referendum itself does not hold any obligatory acts for the EU. Nonetheless Orban ascertains the referendum will create massive influence on Brussels.
Orban said in an interview after he cast his vote in an elementary school in Buda hills. “The most important issue next week is for me to go to Brussels, hold negotiations and try with the help of this result — if the result if appropriate— achieve for it not to be mandatory to take in the kind of people in Hungary we don’t want to,”
Likewise, he wants each EU nation to hold more influence in the decision making process. Orban hopes to see the possibility of other potential anti-quota referendums in EU nations. He said, “We are proud that we are the first” he said. “Unfortunately, we are the only ones in the European Union who managed to have a (referendum) on the migrant issue.”
On a separate case, Hungary is suing the European Court of Justice because of the EU’s decision in 2015 to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers. EU denounced the original plan of moving 1,294 refugees to Hungary. EU instead relocated all refugees to the straining countries of Greece and Italy.
Roughly 8.3 million citizens were eligible to cast ballots on Sunday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (0400-1700 GMT). Turn out by 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) reached 23.5 percent according to the National Election Office.
The polls represent deeper denotation of citizens urging to “send a message to Brussels”. incidentally, there is an increase in cases of xenophobia in Hungary associating migrants with terrorism.
Several opposition and civic oriented blocs advised citizens to boycott the vote. Other recommended casting invalid ballots that will not count to the total tally of votes. These ballots on the other hand, can represent as a vote for rejecting government’s “”zero migrants “policies”.
Hungary’s geographic location makes it easy for nearly 400,000 migrants pass through the country on the way to Western Europe. With Serbia and Croatia’s new expulsion policies and razor wire fences built along the borders, numbers dramatically diminished. According to a police report only one or no migrant penetrated the border in 13 consecutive days.
Last year, Hungary rejected 80% of asylum claims, one of the EU’s highest according to Eurostat.
A total of 508 applications for asylum was approved while 2,917 rejected. With 37,000 more under process.
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