Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Opposition in Race against Time to Collect Signatures for Referendums

Opposition in Race against Time to Collect Signatures for Referendums

Opposition alliance's parties held a joint press conference calling on public to support their referendum initiative, "a step towards changing government".

After weeks of decreased activity and some internal skirmishes, the representatives of the opposition alliance’s parties have finally stood up on Wednesday to hold a joint press conference calling on the public to support their referendum initiative which they say would be “a step towards changing the government”. While they insist that they will easily collect the relevant numbers of signatures, they are still short of about half of the minimum number.

Eventually, instead of the planned five, only two questions of the opposition managed to pass through the National Election Office (NVB).

*  the first one will be on scrapping the law establishing China’s Fudan University,

*  while the second one is on the extension of jobseekers’ allowance to 270 days (it was reduced to 90 days by Fidesz after they took power).

*  the questions on making covid antigen tests free for people over 60, Hungary’s accession to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and imposing a ban on motorways’ concessions didn’t get the green-light.

So now, the initiators have to collect some 200,000 valid signatures, officially until mid-January. (The government has also initiated a referendum but due to different rules, they don’t have to collect any signatures).

Delay and inactivity


Although it has already begun, several press reports stipulate that the signature drive perhaps didn’t go forward as planned. Indeed, mobilization and the parties’ visible efforts are nowhere near the activity of what could have been experienced before and during the primary elections.

Párbeszéd’s Richárd Barabás said earlier that the drive should be completed by January 10 in order for the referendum to be able to be held on the same day, together with the general elections (and Fidesz’s gender-themed vote), although this is yet to be confirmed by the parties and the election office. Both him and LMP’s Erzsébet Schmuck, however insisted that bagging the relevant number of signatures is only a matter of days.

According to Monday reports, to that date, only some 75,000 signatures were collected. Although the Two-tailed dog party (MKKP) itself reportedly gathered some 15,000, and according to the satirical side that refused to ally with the opposition for the elections, this number may be on top of the aforementioned. On Wednesday, Budapest Mayor and Párbeszéd co-president Gergely Karácsony said they had collected “almost 100,000” signatures.

Opposition: a referendum “to stem corruption and poverty”


Péter Márki-Zay, prime ministerial candidate of the united opposition, called on voters to support the referendum “to stem corruption and poverty”. One of the referendum’s two questions aims to provide affordable housing for students as opposed to plans to construct a campus of Fudan University at the site.

The other question is about the opposition’s initiative to extend the period of unemployment benefits from three months to nine, which he said was the shortest in the European Union.

The referendum, he insisted, had a “larger significance” and would help the opposition win “a majority which could release Hungary from the most corrupt government in its history”.

Gergely Karácsony, mayor of Budapest and co-leader of the Párbeszéd party, said that Hungary needs “a government which serves the people” rather than “rulers who lord over them”, adding that the six opposition parties had formed an alliance to make that happen.

Democratic Coalition (DK) MEP Klára Dobrev said “each signature is as much contribution as a vote” to replacing the government and building a “freer, more democratic Hungary”.

Momentum leader Anna Donáth said a longer period of unemployment benefits would help to remedy Hungary’s “existential problems”.

Co-leader of the Socialist Party (MSZP) Ágnes Kunhalmi called on citizens to back plans to build a “student city” instead of creating a campus for China’s Fudan University.

LMP co-leader Máté Kanász-Nagy said that the referendum was motivated by a desire to create greater social security.

Jobbik deputy leader Dániel Z. Kárpát said that an opposition government would “steer the country towards western prosperity rather than in the direction of Eastern dictatorships”. He insisted that the ruling Fidesz party was “pseudo-patriotic” and “betrayed Hungary’s young people”. A government run by the current opposition, he added, would offer a rental subsidies, student hostels, and “opportunities to prosper in the homeland”.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×