Viktor Orban’s bid to strike a blow against Brussels faltered Sunday night after his referendum on whether Hungary should accept EU migrant quotas was declared invalid after it failed to meet the turnout threshold. Orban played down his failure to bring enough voters to the polls last night, insisting there would be “legal consequences” regardless of the outcome. The referendum was the brainchild of the far-right prime minister, who cast the No vote as a defence of the country’s sovereignty and independence. Though the EU quotas would see only 1,924 migrants added to Hungary’s population of 9.8 million, the vote is seen as highly symbolic of a tidal wave of anti-refugee sentiment sweeping across Europe. RelatedOrban maintains that parliament will pass legislation to advance the referendum’s goal despite the turnout.

Source: National Post October 03, 2016 13:41 UTC