Orbán submits constitutional amendment proposal on migrant quotas
Budapest, October 10 (MTI) – Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday submitted a constitutional amendment proposal in connection with European Union migrant quotas.
The proposals contain a ban on foreigners settling in Hungary unless they abide by the country’s laws on obtaining residency, according to the homepage of parliament. They would also enshrine in the fundamental law a ban on settling a “foreign population” in the country.
A foreign citizen outside the European Economic Area (EEA) may live in Hungary after following the procedures set out in Hungarian laws approved by parliament, and based on their request assessed by authorities on an individual basis, the bill said.
The five-point amendment seeks to change the “national creed” of the constitution, adding that “it is the state’s fundamental duty to protect Hungary’s constitutional identity rooted in its historical constitution”. The changes also declare that in the interest of facilitating Hungary’s participation as an EU member state, the community’s joint exercise of powers must be in line with the basic rights and freedoms laid out in Hungary’s basic law and they must not put any limitation on Hungary’s territorial integrity, population or its inalienable right to choose the form and institution of its state.
The amendment also declares the safeguarding of Hungary’s constitutional identity as a duty of all state bodies.
The justification attached to the proposal cites Europe’s migrant crisis and says that 1.5 million people entered the continent illegally since the crisis escalated in 2015. It adds that the “unprecedented mass migration wave” poses an “insurmountable” challenge for Europe and that uncontrolled immigration increases the threat of terrorism.
The document also said the EU had attempted to distribute migrants among member states through a mandatory quota scheme. Hungary was the first member state to vote on in a referendum, it said, noting that 98 percent of Hungarians who cast valid votes in the referendum had rejected the EU’s migrant redistribution plan. This created a new cross-party bloc that put the protection of the country’s sovereignty first, it added.
The leftist opposition Democratic Coalition said the proposal was a “sham” composed of “reshuffled Hungarian and European stipulations”. Csaba Molnár, DK’s executive vice chair, insisted that the prime minister had “not defended” the country through his proposal but “swindled it”.
The state secretary for government communications later told a press conference that Fidesz group leader Lajos Kósa had convened a meeting of parliament’s five parties for Tuesday to discuss the amendment proposal. Bence Tuzson said the government was open to any suggestions from the parties regarding the proposal that merit any changes to it.
A vote on the proposal is scheduled for Nov. 8, he noted.
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The leader of opposition Jobbik voiced support for the proposal. Gábor Vona added, however, that he would suggest some changes to the text. Referring to a ruling by Germany’s Constitutional Court, Vona said that on issues concerning migration or quotas, the constitutions of member states should have precedence over European law.
Photo: MTI
Interview – Orbán to submit constitutional amendment on Monday
Budapest, October 9 (MTI) – Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he will submit on Monday an amendment to the constitution to lawmakers to reflect the outcome of a national referendum Hungary held on EU mandatory migration quotas on Oct.2.
Orbán said in an interview taped on Saturday afternoon and broadcast on public Kossuth radio on Sunday morning that he expects all MPs to support the amendment which clearly states that Hungary will not allow the forced resettlement of foreign nationals.
The amendment also states that foreign nationals who wish to live in Hungary may only do so by submitting an individual application that will be evaluated within the legal framework established by parliament, Orbán said.
The amendment also establishes that the form and the structure of the state, the territory of the country and its people belong to the constitutional identity of the Hungarian nation, Orbán said. This cannot be amended or overwritten by any external law, he added.
The amendment will not change the work of the National Immigration and Citizenship Office, rather it will reinforce the current legal position by inscribing in the basic law a prohibition on any modification by Brussels.
“I think we’ve legislated a nice text. This benefits the Hungarian Constitution and clearly expresses the will of the people,” Orbán said. The amended text will “remain within” the bounds of EU law, he said, adding that it has already been sent to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, he added.
Parliament’s decision will be a “means of assistance”, as there were not enough voters turning out for the referendum to validate its result with legal force, Orban said.
It’s appropriate for the prime minister to submit the amendment as the will of the people must be afforded its proper importance, he added.
Asked whether he would count on the support of the Jobbik party, Orbán said he expected the support of all lawmakers, adding that it is not the prime minister they must support.
“If they had to support me, then I don’t believe I could count on their support,” he added, noting that that was the impression he got from the most recent parliamentary debates.
“Fortunately, this is not about the prime minister, it is not about me, but about the will of 3.3 million people and that will can be supported, without fear, by all lawmakers, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.
Commenting on the impact of Hungary’s referendum abroad, Orbán noted that Nicolas Sarkozy, who has a chance of winning the French election, has already said he would call a referendum on migration related matters if he wins.
“I see that that Europe is becoming democratized. More and more countries are acknowledging that when it comes to matters of importance, such as immigration, political leaders may not choose their decision without the approval of the people,” Orbán said.
If the president and other leaders of the EC had followed EU rules, there would have been no need for a referendum in Hungary, the prime minister said. The European Council, made up of member states’ prime ministers, decided twice that they did not support mandatory quotas; regardless, the EC started to legislate on such quotas, he added.
EU interior ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Oct. 13 to discuss the EC’s mandatory quota proposal, among other issues, Orbán said. But in Hungary’s view that proposal must be taken off the meeting’s agenda since that runs counter to the EU prime ministers’ previous decision, he added.
“We must stand our ground on Oct.13, and at the EU summit in Brussels two weeks later,” said Orbán.
Asked whether he had criticised domestic authorities on the matter of the presence of terrorists in Hungary and their use of local SIM cards, Orbán said those people had been invited to the EU by other states. They hurried through Hungary, as long as they could, then the country – because of a lack of any joint European solution – closed its borders, built a fence and stopped them, he added.
From that time on, the Hungarian border was hermetically closed, and it became Hungary’s responsibility who to allow across the border, Orbán said. What happened before that was not caused by Hungary, thus it is not the country’s responsibility, he said.
Photo: MTI
Hungary EU commissioner rejects remarks questioning commitment
Brussels, October 7 (MTI) – The office of Tibor Navracsics, Hungary’s European Union commissioner, has dismissed remarks by Gianni Pittella, head of the Social Democrat group in the European Parliament, suggesting that Navracsics’s voting “no” in Hungary’s recent quota referendum raises questions about his commitment to the EU.
“All statements and interviews by Tibor Navracsics make it clear that his commitment is unshaken and he has acted and will act in line with his commissioner’s oath”, the office told MTI on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Pittella asked if Navracsics was serving the interests of the whole of the EU or those of the Hungarian prime minister. He insisted that commissioners of the EU should enforce the general interests of the community, rather than those of their governments. “Remarks by Navracsics in connection with the invalid Hungarian referendum make that strongly doubtful”, Pittella said. He argued that the referendum had been aimed to thwart a European decision concerning the resettlement of migrants as well as a proposal by the European Commission – of which Navracsics is a member.
“It is problematic if Navracsics does not believe in a proposal by his own commission, or, on the contrary, if he thinks that national governments do not need to follow decisions by the whole of the EU,” Pittella said.
Referendum – Rejection of EU quotas brings new obligations for Hungarian government
Budapest, October 6 (MTI) – The result of last Sunday’s referendum, in which more than 3 million people rejected European Union migrant quotas, has established new obligations for the Hungarian government both at home and abroad, a government official said on Thursday.
As part of fulfilling its obligations at home, the government will submit a constitutional amendment proposal to parliament to reflect the outcome of the vote, Csaba Dömötör, parliamentary cabinet state secretary, said at a press conference.
To meet the government’s international obligations, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker notifying him of the referendum’s result, Dömötör added. On Friday, Orbán is scheduled to discuss the result with Robert Fico, the prime minister of EU presidency-holder Slovakia.
Dömötör said the referendum heralded the start of a new process rather than the final act, arguing that migration pressure on Europe was unlikely to ease anytime soon and that Brussels had not withdrawn its migrant quota plan, in spite of Hungary’s referendum outcome. The state secretary added that the quota scheme could soon also end up on the agenda of the European Parliament, with a parliamentary hearing on the plan set to be held as soon as next week.
Dömötör insisted that the Hungarian government would use “any method it can” to get the EC to withdraw its prior decisions regarding the resettlement of migrants across the bloc.
Asked whether there were any polls or analyses released before the referendum that had been “hidden” from Orbán, Dömötör said all members of government had had access to every poll that was released.
Meanwhile, Commenting on recent report by the daily Magyar Idok that some SIM cards purchased by Hungarian criminal organisations may have ended up with terrorists who had collaborated in the Brussels and Paris attacks last year, Dömötör said that the national security cabinet would discuss the reports in greater detail. The paper said the criminals had bought around 200,000 SIMs from Magyar Telekom over the course of several months using the personal details of a homeless person. Dömötör said the national security cabinet would investigate whether the rechargeable SIM card concept had any “loopholes” from a security standpoint that could have exploited by the terrorists.
Commenting on a statement from Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) saying that it was the prime minister who had ordered an audit of the Norwegian NGO Fund by the Government Control Office (Kehi) two years ago, the state secretary said that only the prime minister or the Prime Minister’s Office were authorised to request such Kehi audits.
Citing the independence of the National Bank of Hungary, Dömötör declined to comment on reports that central bank governor György Matolcsy has been living in an apartment owned by head of the Banking Association and Unicredit Hungary chief Mihály Patai in the Buda Castle district.
Orbán informs EC President on referendum result
Budapest, October 6 (MTI) – Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has informed Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, in a letter about the outcome of Hungary’s Oct. 2 referendum on EU migrant quotas.
Under “the will of the vast majority of participants” in the referendum, the government has decided to propose amending the constitution, Orban’s press office chief quoted the prime minister as saying in his letter.
According to the letter, 3.33 million Hungarians expressed their wish that foreigners must not be settled in Hungary without parliament’s consent.
Orbán stressed that the proposed amendment will fully comply with European law and Hungary’s international commitments.
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Hungarian justice minister: constitutional amendment to ensure ‘national, constitutional identity’
Budapest, October 5 (MTI) – The government has discussed a draft for a constitutional amendment, aimed at ensuring Hungary’s “national and constitutional identity”, the justice minister told the press on Wednesday.
László Trócsanyi said that the planned changes will affect the country’s territory, population, and its form of government. The changes will be in line with European regulations, he added, and said that “Hungary’s EU membership is important for the government”.
“We are a member in a community of values, and committed Europeans,” he said.
When drafting the changes, the government took into consideration decisions by the constitutional courts of France and Germany, as precedents of European legislation following the constitution of member states, Trocsanyi said.
The draft changes will be tabled in parliament on Monday, Trócsanyi said.
Vona seeks meeting with Orbán to discuss constitutional amendment vote
Budapest, October 5 (MTI) – Gábor Vona, the head of the Jobbik party, on Wednesday said he had asked for a private meeting with the prime minister to discuss a potential collaboration between their parliamentary groups in passing a constitutional amendment to reflect the outcome of Hungary’s migrant quota referendum.
Only Jobbik can provide the amount of votes needed alongside those from the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance to ensure a two-thirds majority in parliament, which is necessary for a constitutional amendment to pass, Vona told a press conference.
Amending Hungary’s constitution to protect the country from the European Union’s mandatory migrant quota plan is a “national cause”, he said.
Jobbik will not make a “big deal” out of whose amendment proposal would end up being approved by parliament, Vona said, adding that the important thing is that the amendment is adequate.
He confirmed that his party will participate in the parliamentary debates on the proposed amendment, but added that they would only be able to back it once they have read it.
Vona said it was a “shame” that the leftist parties were “incapable of moving away from the wrong track” which he said would result in the settlement of migrants in Hungary.
Commenting on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s remarks from Tuesday, Vona said that instead of bringing about a new cross-party bloc which puts national sovereignty first, the referendum had created more divisions. Vona argued that although many Hungarians opposed migrant quotas, they still chose to sit out the referendum because they did not want to take part in “a party’s political campaign”.
The Jobbik leader called on the government not to try to make it look like those who had voted in the referendum were all Fidesz supporters.
The prime minister is ready to have talks with heads of the parliamentary parties to achieve a constitutional amendment, Orbán’s press chief told MTI.
Bertalan Havasi said that amending the constitution was in line with “the will of 3.3 million people” voting “no” in the recent quota referendum. “Ninety-eight percent (of the valid votes) reflects an unprecedentedly strong wish”, which needs to be enacted, Havasi insisted.
Photo: MTI
Foreign minister: 3.3 million Hungarians’ opinion precedes Swedish stance
Budapest, October 5 (MTI) – The opinion of 3.3 million Hungarian voters is more important that the position of Sweden’s justice minister, Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian foreign minister, told MTI on Wednesday.
Morgan Johansson, the Swedish minister, said earlier in the day that his country would sue Hungary if the latter refuses to accommodate asylum-seekers who had been registered in its territory.
In response, Szijjártó suggested that those illegal migrants should have been registered by the Greek authorities.
“While some countries fail to enforce the rules, is Hungary expected to bear the burden?” the Hungarian minister asked.
Referring to Hungary’s recent quota referendum, Szijjártó insisted that 3.3 million Hungarians voting “no” had answered that question.
Majority of voters satisfied with outcome, survey finds
Budapest, October 5 (MTI) – The majority of Hungarian voters are satisfied with the result of the Oct. 2 migrant quota referendum and support amending the constitution, according to a survey by pollster Századvég released on Wednesday.
Fully 54 percent of the survey’s respondents said they were satisfied with Sunday’s result and altogether 68 percent said they agreed with the prime minister’s proposal to amend Hungary’s constitution.
Századvég found that 29 percent of voters were not satisfied with the outcome of the referendum while 15 percent had mixed feelings about it.
Altogether 71 percent said the European Union should consider the will of Hungarian voters on the subject of mandatory migrant quotas while 23 percent said it does not have to.
Among those who voted on Sunday, 81 percent said Brussels has to take the opinion of Hungarian voters into account compared with 12 percent who said it does not.
Sixty eight percent of respondents said they expect the government to pass a law or amend the constitution to reflect the outcome of the referendum. Fully 17 percent said the government does not have to take any action over the result, while 7 percent said it should simply accept the European Commission’s mandatory quota scheme.
No less than 92 percent of Fidesz supporters backed the idea of a constitutional amendment, as did 93 percent of the supporters of Jobbik. Most of the supporters of the opposition Socialists, the Democratic Coalition, LMP and Együtt opposed the passage of any kind of legislation to reflect the result of the referendum, while 10-15 percent supported it. Altogether 60 percent of self-declared centrists supported a constitutional amendment, as did 56 percent of undecided voters.
Respondents who backed accepting migrant quotas were predominantly left-wing voters: 40 percent of Együtt, 24 percent of LMP and 15 percent of the Democratic Coalition’s supporters said Hungary should accept the scheme.
Századvég also found that only left-wing voters had considered boycotting the referendum. Among the total sample, however, 79 percent opposed the idea of boycotting a vote in general compared with 14 percent who supported it.
Photo: MTI
Referendum – Jobbik to support constitutional amendment
Budapest (MTI) – The Jobbik party will support a constitutional amendment aimed to enhance Hungary’s security, party leader Gábor Vona said on Tuesday.
“After six months wasted, 15 billion forints of public money spent and a failed and invalid referendum, [Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán has realised that Jobbik has been right from the very beginning,” Vona said in a statement commenting on Orbán’s announcement of the planned amendment.
He said that Orbán’s proposal is identical with Jobbik’s earlier initiative.
As a party dedicated to issues concerning the nation, Jobbik will take part in the five-party talks initiated by Fidesz, Vona said.
Orbán said earlier on Tuesday that a constitutional amendment supported by Fidesz will seek to introduce changes in view of Sunday’s referendum results, in which 98 percent voted against the EU’s mandatory quota regime.
Photo: MTI
CNN’S video debating Hungary’s controversial refugee referendum
As we’ve reported a few days ago, several illustrious media of the international press expressed their opinions on the result of the Hungarian referendum on migrant quotas. The topic was debated in CNN’s Amanpour, CNN International’s flagship global affairs interview program hosted by Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. She speaks with Hungarian Government Spokesman Zoltán Kovács and former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis, and they also get into a smaller argument.
CNN formerly published a summarizing article titled “Hungary voters reject EU migrant-resettlement plan, but low turnout invalidates results”, in which they write the following: “This is a piece of international PR,” said John Dalhuisen, the Europe director for Amnesty International. “This is international marketing. He’s selling himself as the ideologue of a radically different migration policy. You’d characterize (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel as being ‘let them come’ — he’s saying the solution to the refugee crisis, to the migration issues in Europe, is ‘let no one come.’”
And this is the debate between Christiane Amanpour, Eleni Kounalakis and Zoltán Kovács:
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Simicskó: referendum ‘important message’ to Brussels
Budapest (MTI) – The 3.2 million “no” votes in Hungary’s recent quota referendum have sent “an important message” to Brussels, the defence minister told public television M1.
“From that aspect the referendum has met its goal and can be considered successful,” István Simicskó said.
“We wanted to express our will and our dislike over Brussels bureaucrats taking decision without consulting the Hungarian people” over such issues as managing the migrant crisis”, he said.
Answering a question whether a valid referendum had been more effective, Simicskó said that the opinion “of the majority of people” cannot be neglected. He added he trusted that “European leaders will understand that”.
Concerning the planned constitutional amendment, Simicskó said it would be another “weapon” against Brussels to “correct” the EU, and added that Hungary “keeps working to save” the community. He also argued that Hungary’s policies concerning the migrant quota have been “honest and straightforward”, while “there must be EU politicians who approve the quota and then find a technical way for their country not to accommodate a single migrant”.
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Referendum – Orbán: Constitutional amendments to include ban on group resettlements
Budapest, October 4 (MTI) – A constitutional amendment supported by the ruling Fidesz party will seek to introduce changes in view of Sunday’s referendum results, in which 98 percent voted against the EU’s mandatory quota regime, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Tuesday.
The results of the referendum have created a new cross-party bloc in Hungary which regards the protection of sovereignty a national issue, Orbán told a press conference in the parliament. The 3.3 million people who voted “no” included one million who probably support other parties, which shows that this was a national issue, Orbán said. He added that these people did not vote against migrants or the European Union, but for the appropriate handling of a modern-age wave of migration.
“The decision of the people must be enforced in parliament,” Orbán insisted.
The constitutional amendments proposed include a clear statement on preventing Brussels from ordering the resettlement of migrants to Hungary under a resolution without the consent of the Hungarian parliament; it includes banning mandatory group resettlements, and stating that the resettlement of people without the right to free movement and stay in Hungary can only take place on the basis of individual requests assessed by the Hungarian authorities in procedures outlined in Hungarian laws enacted by parliament.
The proposed changes will be reviewed in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Orbán said.
Asked how he perceived the vote on the changes requiring a two-thirds majority, Orbán said he believes that lawmakers will “move along the right scenario”. He added that a 50 percent turnout in the referendum would have validated “voters’ voices in themselves,” but at 43 percent turnout parliament needs “to give an extra push”. A referendum and a constitutional amendment together offer a stronger position than a referendum alone, he said, adding that he “cannot imagine that Brussels would decide against a majority of 98 percent of people”.
Lajos Kósa, the head of Fidesz’s parliamentary group, told the press conference that the government must submit the proposed amendments to parliament by October 10, a debate would be scheduled for October 17 and a vote for November 8. The amendments may take force by mid-November. Five-party talks will also be held on the issue, he added.
Jobbik party leader Gábor Vona said that his party would support a constitutional amendment aimed to enhance Hungary’s security. He added, however, that Orbán’s proposal is identical with Jobbik’s earlier initiative. As a party dedicated to issues concerning the nation, Jobbik will take part in the five-party talks initiated by Fidesz, Vona said.
The opposition Socialists said the ruling Fidesz party’s proposal to amend the constitution is illegitimate, and warned Orbán and his party not to use an invalid referendum for justifying a decision which affects the future of ten million people. Party group leader Bertalan Tóth said that Orbán and Fidesz had not got an authorisation from the majority of voters in Sunday’s referendum on migrant quotas as 5 million people decided not to participate. Fidesz should not ignore people who expressed their opinion by staying at home, he said.
The green opposition LMP party’s spokesman József Gál said the referendum will not solve problems connected to migration. LMP will not participate in a “political farce” that only serves to enable the government to sweep important issues such as health care, poverty, emigration, labour shortage and widespread corruption under the carpet.
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said it would stay away from the parliamentary debate and vote about a planned constitutional amendment backed by ruling Fidesz and called on all opposition parties to follow suit. Deputy party leader Csaba Molnár aid the message of Sunday’s invalid referendum on European Union migrant quotas was clear: Hungarians did not give an authorisation to Orban for any form of legislation concerning migration. Those who participate in the planned constitutional amendment will go against the will of the public, he said.
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Referendum – Fidesz pins hopes on majority for constitutional amendment
Budapest, October 4 (MTI) – Ruling Fidesz hopes to have its proposal for a constitutional amendment in light of the referendum result on European Union migrant quotas passed with “a decisive majority” of lawmakers, the party’s deputy leader said on Tuesday.
Parliament is not bound by the outcome to legislate but it has the power to do so, Gergely Gulyás told a press conference.
When top Fidesz officials meet to evaluate Sunday’s referendum in the afternoon, the amendment proposal will be discussed, he said.
Fidesz is working to form “national unity” on the issue of mandatory EU migrant quotas, said Gulyás, adding that in the parliamentary vote it would become clear who supported and who rejected the scheme.
Asked whether the issue of who bore responsibility for insufficient voter turnout would be raised, Gulyás said, “There’s no reason: almost 3.3 million voters rejected the quota scheme.” This amounts to 120,000 more votes for the government’s initiative than the combined number of votes ruling Fidesz and opposition Jobbik won in the 2014 general election, he added.
“This means that there were left-wing voters who cast their ballots and supported the government, defying the party line,” he said.
Gulyás branded disputes over the referendum’s validity “secondary”, insisting that the Hungarian government had a mandate to argue against mandatory quotas in negotiations in Brussels.
He called voter participation of 44 percent “a great achievement”, especially since the leftist parties had called for a boycott. He added that 40.5 percent of the electorate cast a valid ballot and, among them, over 98 percent supported the “no” camp.
Turnout failed to clear the 50 percent validity threshold required for a national referendum to pass under Hungarian law.
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Szijjártó: opinion of 3.3 million cannot be neglected
Budapest (MTI) – The will of the 3.3 million people who voted “no” in Sunday’s migrant quota referendum cannot be ignored in Hungary or in the wider European Union, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said at a press conference held on a different subject on Monday.
Szijjártó said the 3.3 million votes were more than those supporting Hungary’s accession to the EU in 2004. And turnout was higher than in the latest European parliamentary election, he added.
Under the “authorisation granted” by the referendum, the government will “fight hard” in Brussels to remove European decisions aimed at resettlement quotas, Szijjártó said.
He said the referendum had conveyed the “obvious” message that “the will of European people cannot be overlooked and no one should make contrary policies in Brussels or elsewhere”. “The position of Hungarian voters was very clear on Sunday,” the minister added.
Answering a question about the impact of the referendum on migrants staying in Serbia, Szijjártó said the situation had slipped out of control and migrants had become “uncontrollably aggressive” last year amid “ambiguous messages” from western Europe. “Immigrants and people smugglers will be ready to misunderstand such messages,” Szijjártó said, adding that if migrants “set off” for Hungary, the border is protected.
Photo: MTI
LMP: quota referendum ‘complete failure’
Budapest (MTI) – Sunday’s referendum on migrant quotas was a “complete failure” and “damaging”, co-leaders of the opposition LMP party told a press conference.
Bernadett Szél said that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had “set up a trap for himself”. The invalid vote weakens the government’s standing, she added.
Ákos Hadházy insisted that Orbán was now despised internationally for his “populist campaign of provocation”.
Referring to Orbán’s plans to amend the constitution, Hadházy said that the fundamental law was a “joke” since it has proved to be “as soft as putty rather than as hard as granite”.
The referendum was destructive, Hadházy said, because it had whipped up “panic-like fear” in many while distracting from the “looting of EU funds”.
Only 11,000 out of half a million Hungarians abroad had pre-registered to vote in the referendum, he said, adding that it was hard to establish how many voters of dual citizenship had died since their registration, and calling for changes to eliminate anomalies in the election system. Achieving this requires cooperation between the parliamentary parties, he said.
Photo: MTI
Referendum – Fidesz parliament group backs Orbán’s constitutional amendment
Budapest (MTI) – Ruling Fidesz’s parliamentary group supports the constitutional amendment proposed by the prime minister to reflect the outcome of the European Union migrant quota referendum held on Sunday, group leader Lajos Kósa said on Monday.
The drafting of the legislation’s exact text is under way, he said. This is expected to establish that Hungary’s constitution rejects the possibility of allowing non-Hungarian citizens to be forcibly settled in Hungary’s territory without the approval of the country’s government and parliament, Kósa told a press conference.
Evaluating the referendum, Kósa noted some 3.3 million Hungarians had rejected mandatory migrant quotas. “Never before has there been such political unity in support of any Hungarian prime minister [as in Sunday’s ballot]”, said Kósa, adding that this force would decide the political dispute over the referendum’s outcome.
Referendum – Opposition DK calling for boycott of planned constitutional amendment
Budapest, October 3 (MTI) – The opposition Democratic Coalition will boycott the vote on a constitutional amendment planned in the wake of the recent referendum on European Union migrant quotas, and is calling on all opposition parties to follow suit, party leader Ferenc Gyurcsány said on Monday.
“It is political roguery to respond to a failed referendum by initiating a constitutional amendment,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s vow to amend the constitution to reflect the referendum’s outcome of “no” to EU binding migrant quotas.
When the government invites a referendum, it is asking for people’s approval to do something, Gyurcsány said. “An invalid referendum means that the people withheld their approval of the Orbán government’s way of doing things,” he added.
Between May and August, the leading pollsters forecast turnout of well above 50 percent at the referendum. According to Gyurcsány, the opposition’s campaign since late August and early September has convinced more than a million people not to vote or to spoil their ballot papers.
Gyurcsány told the press conference that the opposition parties should run together in the 2018 general election.
The lesson to be learnt is that a well-coordinated campaign with a common political message works and this “victory” has opened the way for parties to join forces for the next election, he said.
In response to a question, Gyurcsány said he had already spoken to Socialist leader Gyula Molnár and they were in agreement that a joint proposal should be prepared for how to work together in 2017.
The opposition Liberal Party said the planned constitutional amendment was unwarranted. Party leader Gábor Fodor told a press conference that the Liberals resolutely rejected the initiative because it went against the European Union, sharpened conflict and lacked the backing of the majority of Hungarian voters.
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