The Socialist Party said it went against common sense for parliament not to approve their proposal to hold the migrant quota referendum on the same day as their two referendums.

The Socialists’ referendums concern the government’s state-owned land privatisation programme and the introduction of a 2 million forint (EUR 6,300) cap on public officials’ salaries.

Lawmaker Gergely Bárándy said that the ruling Fidesz party would have had ample time to wait for the National Election Office to certify the signatures the Socialists had collected in support of their referendum initiatives, after which parliament could have voted on the three referendum proposals at the same time. Bárándy said his party would continue its “anti-Fidesz” signature drive.

The Democratic Coalition and Együtt parties said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would use the referendum to try to “win a mandate to drive Hungary out of the European Union”. Both parties said they would stay away from the vote and would call on their supporters to follow suit.

The radical nationalist Jobbik said Fidesz is always one step behind when it comes to the issue of migrant quotas.

Party leader Gábor Vona told a press conference that a constitutional amendment is needed instead. A referendum would have been timely in 2015 when Jobbik originally proposed it, but by now it won’t be enough.

Amending the constitution could be done quickly, without having to wait until the autumn, he added. “Time isn’t on our side, with the European Commission working on new absurd proposals,” Vona said.

Even if Hungarians reject the quota, if the referendum is not valid and successful, it could be counter-productive, he added. Fidesz called on the leftist parties not to appeal to the Constitutional Court over the referendum.

János Halász, a spokesman for the Fidesz parliamentary group, called the referendum “one of the most important matters” in Hungarian history.

He stressed that the Hungarian people should be left to decide if they want Brussels to resettle migrants in Hungary. Halász said the referendum was “urgent” because Brussels is putting forward “increasingly aggressive plans” to redistribute migrants among EU member states.

He said it was “lamentable” that certain MPs had “openly expressed support” for the migrant quota scheme by voting against the referendum.

Source: www.hungarymatters.hu
Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.