Big majority of Hungarians rejected migrant quotas but vote invalid
Almost all Hungarians who voted in October 2's referendum rejected the European Union's migrant quotas but turnout was too low to make the poll valid, frustrating Prime Minister Viktor Orban's hopes of a clear victory with which to challenge Brussels.
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Hungary's maverick right-wing leader, whose hardline policy on migration has been criticized by human rights groups but is popular at home, nevertheless said EU policymakers should heed the "outstanding" referendum outcome.
Orban said more Hungarians had rejected the migrant quotas than had voted for European Union membership in a referendum ahead of Hungary's 2004 accession to the bloc.
Some 3.249 million votes were cast rejecting the quotas, compared with 2003's 3.056 million votes in favor of joining the EU.
"Thirteen years after a large majority of Hungarians voted at a referendum to join the European Union, today Hungarians made their voices heard again in a European issue," Orban said.
"We have achieved an outstanding result, because we have surpassed the outcome of the accession referendum," he told a news conference at which he did not take questions.
The National Election Office said on its website that 98.3% of those who voted had rejected the quotas with 99.97% of votes counted. Just 40% of around 8.26 million eligible people had cast a valid vote, however, less than the 50% needed to legitimize the result. Final results are expected next week.
