Hungary is set to be the first country in the EU where the people will get to decide if sanctions against Russia should continue.
Hungary vetoed some of the most extreme proposed sanctions against Russia in the European Council.
“The sanctions were not decided democratically, but were decided by Brussels bureaucrats and European elites. Although Europe’s citizens are paying the price, they were not asked.” – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
Hungary famously held a public referendum on the European’s Union’s “migrant quota” plan in October of 2016. The only member of the EU to do so.
The “Migrant Quote” Referendum:
Do you want the European Union to be able to mandate the obligatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens into Hungary even without the approval of the National Assembly?
The Hungarian Socialist Party, Democratic Coalition Party, and various well-funded left-wing groups launched a campaign urging people to boycott the referendum or to cast a blank ballot. The referendum passed with 98.5% voting “no.” However, only 44% of registered voters cast a vote. So it fell below the 50% threshold to be considered a valid referendum under Hungarian law. It is noteworthy that only 45% of registered voters cast votes in the 2003 referendum to join the EU.
Ultimately, the Visegrad Group, consisting of Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, put up a united front and refused to cooperate with the EU’s migrant quota plan.
Viktor Orbán’s government will be the first in Europe to ask its citizens about sanctions against Russia. This is how a true democracy works. @EU_Commission @Europarl_EN #EnergyCrisis pic.twitter.com/24l0jDLC16
— Hidvéghi Balázs (@BalazsHidveghi) September 26, 2022
