Referendum in Hungary: Orbán has failed but not been stopped
“I am glad that the majority of the Hungarian population refused to be influenced by Orbáns racist propaganda and the referendum has failed. Politically, there will be not much change though”, says Alexander Ulrich, correspondent for Hungary in the European Union committee of the Bundestag, regarding the result of yesterday’s referendum in Hungary on the plans of the EU for the distribution of refugees on the EU member states. Ulrich further:
“The rightwing nationalist premier Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party for months agitated against refugees and the European Union creating menacing scenarios in the public media and on posters. The slogans on those huge blue posters spread over the whole country come off nearly satirical wouldn’t their meaning be dead serious. As if refugees would come to steal jobs, rape women and commit terror attacks. It was the campaign of a government which is responsible for numerous mistreatments of refugees by Hungarian authorities. And it was the campaign of a government which stigmatises and criminalises Romani, Jews, the poor, and dissidents since the beginning of its term.
The nationalist secession policy of Orbán will continue unrestrained even after the failed referendum. The European Union and the German government already far too long watched as Orbán and his supporters trample on the fundamental values of the EU. They need to meet their own requirement of defending and promoting democracy and rule of law as well as respecting human rights and basic freedoms and support all those Hungarians that refused to be influenced by Orbán’s racist propaganda.”