Centrum Stosunków Międzynarodowych - 02 October 2016: Hungarian voters reject EU migrant-resettlement plan in referendum, but low turnout invalidates results

In Sunday's referendum more than 98 percent of Hungarian voters rejected the EU's plans to relocate refugees and migrants among member states but less than 50 percent turned out for the votes. Turnout stood at 43.9 percent, below the 50 percent threshold for the vote to be valid. Because more than 90 percent of participants sided with Prime Minister Victor Orbán by voting against the admission of refugees to Hungary, he claimed the result as an "outstanding" victory. Still more than half of the electorate stayed at home, rendering the process constitutionally null and void.

Fidesz's critics argued they overreacted with the result. The leader of Együtt, a liberal opposition party, said: "In his speech, the prime minister failed to recognise the reality. The majority of Hungarians stayed away from the polls and what's been left behind is a divided country. To heal this, we need a change in government." The liberal opposition argued that the referendum was an attempt to distract from the government's domestic failures and the question was raised over the amount of state funds that were used for the referendum campaign.

While the referendum is non-binding because turnout fell short of the 50 percent threshold, Orbán hopes its passage would increase pressure on Brussels' refugee policy.