Speaking at a press conference held jointly with former party chairman Attila Mesterházy, Molnár said the October 2 referendum “has no legal consequence, its subject does not actually exist and it’s about nothing else but a silly message to Brussels”.

The Socialist party wants to send a message by staying away from the vote and holding the first Day of Free Europe instead. Molnár said they will welcome to the event all parties, civil organisations and trade unions who agree that “we want to stay in Europe”, and will together discuss how we imagine our future in Europe.

He said “our parents and grandparents used to listen in secret to Radio Free Europe”, dreaming about the Europe that radio represented.

Today, “these young men seem to be throwing away the dream of our parents and grandparents and seem to want to lead this country out of Europe”, he added, referring to politicians of the ruling Fidesz party. In recent days, “very important government officials seemed to suggest that they know of an alternative for Hungary outside the European Union.

If this is the case, they should honestly tell us where we will get 8,000 billion forints for developments ... and what kind of a country it will be if it’s not within Europe,” the Socialist chairman said.

Mesterházy said he believes government officials have started drafting a script for a referendum for Hungary to be held after 2020, trying “to prepare the majority of the Hungarian people to vote in favour of an exit.”

This would take place after 2020, he said, because by then the large amounts of European Union funding would dry up and “their cronies would no longer be able to pocket the money”. In a statement published in response to the Socialists’ criticism, Fidesz said the officials of MSZP want to implement the forced settlement of immigrants proposed by the European Union.

On October 2, everybody will express their opinion on the forced settlement and the pro-immigration policy of Brussels. Either by rejecting the forced settlement with a ‘no’ vote or by abstaining from voting and thereby saying ‘yes’ to the settlement of immigrants, Fidesz said in the statement.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Szigetváry Zsolt