Hungarian referendum decides whether to slam the door on migrants
Source: The Observer
Hungarian referendum decides whether to slam the door on migrants
Sunday’s referendum about whether to accept EU migrant quota –
1,294 refugees – has unleashed dark forces and opened a new era
for Europe
Patrick Kingsley
Saturday 1 October 2016 23.45 BST
As a small crowd of pensioners gathered outside the little village hall in Mártély, southern Hungary, all seemed calm. A horse and cart trotted past, long-bearded villagers settled into their wooden seats, and a cat mewed in the corner.
But the atmosphere changed when János Lázár, one of Hungary’s most powerful politicians, strolled up the street and began to speak. “There are decisions that extend beyond party politics, and this is one of them,” Lázár said softly to the crowd. “This is something that will define the future of Hungary.”
Hungarians head to the polls on Sunday for a referendum on immigration that ministers have portrayed as a make-or-break moment for the Hungarian nation, and a watershed for Europe as a whole.
The question being asked is wordy and vague, its legal consequence unclear, and its primary context seems parochial. Literally translated, it asks if immigrants should be sent to Hungary without parliament’s approval. Essentially it’s about whether Hungary should be forced to accept just 1,294 refugees stuck in Greece and Italy as part of a responsibility-sharing system agreed by EU countries this time last year. However small the numbers involved, the ramifications of this poll on the eastern edge of the European Union could be enormous.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/01/hungarian-referendum-slam-door-migrants-new-era-europe
