Referendum – Socialists: Quota referendum unnecessary

Budapest, September 2 (MTI) – Hungary’s migrant quota referendum is uncalled for, seeing as how implementing such a scheme is not even on the European Union’s agenda, the opposition Socialist Party’s parliamentary group leader said on Friday.

The referendum is about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán alone, Bertalan Tóth told a press conference. It’s all meant for Orbán to gather the strength he needs to go against common European measures, he added.

Toth said Hungary’s government was actually a campaign team, arguing that it had spent over 4 billion forints (EUR 12.9m) on the anti-quota billboard campaign while the referendum itself will cost 6-7 billion forints. Furthermore, they are using the campaign to instill fear in the public and incite hatred against migrants, he said. But the referendum will not resolve the migrant crisis, Tóth insisted.

He said that while soldiers and police officers are left to work in poor conditions at the border, the prime minister is planning to build a third fence there.

Toth said it was hypocritical of Orbán to constantly be talking about strengthening national sovereignty while calling for the establishment of a joint European army.

He said the Socialist Party believes in joint solutions such as joint border protection efforts and common European asylum procedures.

Source: MTI