Who lost this battle?
Only 1.7 percent of the voters answered 'Yes' to the question "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?"
But the turnout of 43.8 percent, or 3.6 million voters, means that the referendum will be declared invalid. Over 200,000 ballots were spoiled, another tactic by those opposing the vote.
The referendum was non-binding, but became a symbolic litmus test for Orban's pro-sovereignty, anti-migrant and anti-Islamist policies.
His mostly left-wing political opponents rejected the very idea of the referendum, suggesting it would cause "tension" inside the country and in Budapest's relationship with Brussels, and urged a boycott to prevent a validating turnout.
Comment: Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage tweeted:
Steady on there, old boy!
That's 98% of 43%, which comes to about 42% of the Hungarian electorate agreeing with Orban, which is about what he won by in the 2014 general election, so they are 'his supporters'.
The rest, presumably, either don't care, or they stand with Merkel and the EU.Orban calling for this referendum over taking in just 1,200 people is 'playing the race card', but to what end? He says he's doing it for all of Europe, while Western liberal pundits routinely speculate that he's 'doing it for Putin'. Meanwhile, Hungarian intelligence does its bit for the Global War on Islamic TerrorTM...
The bottom line: this 'refugee crisis', manipulated from the get-go by the Powers That Be, has evidently been successful in dividing Europe and giving its leaders 'something to think about'.