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| 'The question was stupid': Hungarians on the refugee referendum | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| More than 98% of Hungarians who took to the polls in Sunday’s referendum voted to close the door to refugees. However more than half of the electorate didn’t vote rendering the process constitutionally null and void. We asked our readers what they thought of the result and why more people didn’t vote. Here’s what some of you said. | More than 98% of Hungarians who took to the polls in Sunday’s referendum voted to close the door to refugees. However more than half of the electorate didn’t vote rendering the process constitutionally null and void. We asked our readers what they thought of the result and why more people didn’t vote. Here’s what some of you said. |
| ‘Orbán poses a greater danger than people may realise’ | ‘Orbán poses a greater danger than people may realise’ |
| I didn’t vote because not voting helped to nullify the result. Thus I am very happy things turned out the way they did. | I didn’t vote because not voting helped to nullify the result. Thus I am very happy things turned out the way they did. |
| Orbán poses a greater danger than people may realise. He sows strife and conflict within the EU where he wants to divide and rule in his bid for ever greater power. Orbán is not just a disaster in Hungary, but a very real and dangerous presence in the EU. | Orbán poses a greater danger than people may realise. He sows strife and conflict within the EU where he wants to divide and rule in his bid for ever greater power. Orbán is not just a disaster in Hungary, but a very real and dangerous presence in the EU. |
| I cannot understand why the EU continues to just sit on its hands, while one of its member countries flouts almost all the regulations and rules of its membership. The EU was founded not just on a free and open market economy, but its other raison d’etre was the dissemination and development of democratic norms and principles. | I cannot understand why the EU continues to just sit on its hands, while one of its member countries flouts almost all the regulations and rules of its membership. The EU was founded not just on a free and open market economy, but its other raison d’etre was the dissemination and development of democratic norms and principles. |
| Orbán has used these democratic systems to to undermine democracy itself and as he proudly proclaims, to create an illiberal country where he has become an oligarch. | Orbán has used these democratic systems to to undermine democracy itself and as he proudly proclaims, to create an illiberal country where he has become an oligarch. |
| Anonymous, 67-year-old from Budapest | Anonymous, 67-year-old from Budapest |
| ‘I don’t agree with this demagogy’ | ‘I don’t agree with this demagogy’ |
| I did not participate in this referendum by voting yes or no. I voted invalidly by marking all the possible options in order to spoil my vote. I did this because I wanted to show that I don’t agree with this demagogy. | I did not participate in this referendum by voting yes or no. I voted invalidly by marking all the possible options in order to spoil my vote. I did this because I wanted to show that I don’t agree with this demagogy. |
| I don’t think the quota is the right solution to handle the refugee crisis because I think a strong checkpoint is needed at the borders. But this referendum was not really about asking a question - it was about power. It was a survey of whether the Hungarian government would have enough voters in 2018 or not. | I don’t think the quota is the right solution to handle the refugee crisis because I think a strong checkpoint is needed at the borders. But this referendum was not really about asking a question - it was about power. It was a survey of whether the Hungarian government would have enough voters in 2018 or not. |
| I am not surprised by the result though I thought the referendum would be valid. I think people decided not to vote because they are fed up with the old world - the authoritarian governments of the past of Hungary. On the other hand, maybe people just did not care about the question. | I am not surprised by the result though I thought the referendum would be valid. I think people decided not to vote because they are fed up with the old world - the authoritarian governments of the past of Hungary. On the other hand, maybe people just did not care about the question. |
| Attila Benke, 30-year-old living in Tura | Attila Benke, 30-year-old living in Tura |
| ‘I’m very disappointed by the result’ | ‘I’m very disappointed by the result’ |
| I voted no because I believe in a democratic society. Every person has the right to privacy and to be able to live with who they wish. | I voted no because I believe in a democratic society. Every person has the right to privacy and to be able to live with who they wish. |
| I do not believe countries outside Europe should be able to force themselves into a country or countries where they do not belong. I am not a racist and I believe the world should look after genuine refugees but not economic migrants. | I do not believe countries outside Europe should be able to force themselves into a country or countries where they do not belong. I am not a racist and I believe the world should look after genuine refugees but not economic migrants. |
| I’m very disappointed by the result. The referendum was not meant to be political, but a way of legally finding out how the people in Hungary feel about the migration situation. I think people refused to vote as a way of trying to get Obán Viktor out of office. | I’m very disappointed by the result. The referendum was not meant to be political, but a way of legally finding out how the people in Hungary feel about the migration situation. I think people refused to vote as a way of trying to get Obán Viktor out of office. |
| Máté Pál, 72-year-old living in the north west of Hungary | Máté Pál, 72-year-old living in the north west of Hungary |
| ‘More people should have spoiled their ballots’ | ‘More people should have spoiled their ballots’ |
| I voted by spoiling my ballot. I remember last year when a large crowd of people marched on the street near where I live. They wanted to go to western Europe and when the government banned them from going by train they just set off on foot. I had mixed feelings about them. They were determined, but I also felt like they were being arrogant in the way they left trash all over the road and seemed like they absolutely didn’t care about the citizens of Hungary. Despite all of this I wouldn’t mind if a few people, in moderate numbers, were to resettle in Hungary. | I voted by spoiling my ballot. I remember last year when a large crowd of people marched on the street near where I live. They wanted to go to western Europe and when the government banned them from going by train they just set off on foot. I had mixed feelings about them. They were determined, but I also felt like they were being arrogant in the way they left trash all over the road and seemed like they absolutely didn’t care about the citizens of Hungary. Despite all of this I wouldn’t mind if a few people, in moderate numbers, were to resettle in Hungary. |
| I chose to vote in the referendum but I put a cross in both circles, because I think Orbán’s time is up. It seems like power has overcome him and, if allowed, would continue to dismantle democracy and the constitutional state if re-elected. So, in my opinion, this referendum wasn’t really about the EU quota but more about the political mood of the country. | I chose to vote in the referendum but I put a cross in both circles, because I think Orbán’s time is up. It seems like power has overcome him and, if allowed, would continue to dismantle democracy and the constitutional state if re-elected. So, in my opinion, this referendum wasn’t really about the EU quota but more about the political mood of the country. |
| I would be a lot happier if more people had spoiled their ballots. This would have been an obvious message - that the referendum question was improper. I think very few people voted because they thought the question was stupid, and believed there to be no correct answer. However, in Hungary this kind of turnout is pretty average. | I would be a lot happier if more people had spoiled their ballots. This would have been an obvious message - that the referendum question was improper. I think very few people voted because they thought the question was stupid, and believed there to be no correct answer. However, in Hungary this kind of turnout is pretty average. |
| Kristóf Várdy, 21-year-old student living in Budapest | Kristóf Várdy, 21-year-old student living in Budapest |