A Biased BBC reader writes…
“A 98 per cent vote in favour of a referendum? That’s a landslide. Alas, for the BBC in its coverage of Hungary’s vote to decline the EU’s plan of handing them hundreds of Muslim migrants, the low turnout (43 per cent) “appeared to render it [the vote] invalid”.
Yes, like Brexit, the results have to be questioned. However, unlike the 48-52 per cent Brexit margin that was deemed too narrow to respect the will of the people, this time the narrative shifts to the “validity” of the vote as only 43 per cent of the Hungarian electorate voted. Apparently, this is short of the 50 per cent required to be “valid”.
Valid? We all know if the Brexit vote went the other way there would be no calls for a second referendum. We all know if Hungary voted 98 per cent on a turnout of 43 per cent to accept the migrants there would be no snide questions about the vote being valid.
How do we know?
Well, Katya Adler mentions in passing President Viktor Orban, who led a “prominent, expensive and relentless anti-EU and anti-migrant referendum campaign but failed to persuade most Hungarians to vote.” In fairness, she does point out that a higher percentage of Hungarians voted against EU migrant quotas than voted for EU membership 13 years ago.
A higher percentage of Hungarians voted against EU migrant quotas than voted for EU membership 13 years ago? Interesting.
I looked up that referendum and it was 84% pro on a 46% turn out. So surely a 46 per cent turnout means that the referendum result, and by dint Hungary’s membership of the EU, is also not valid as it didn’t pass the 50 per cent threshold?
As we know, the Beeb (and the EU) doesn’t work like that. As with this migrant vote and Brexit, when they make every attempt to undermine the outcome if the vote goes against them, when the outcome goes in their favour, questions of legitimacy and democracy are disregarded and the status quo agenda can be renewed.
Take a look at the BBC coverage of the 2003 vote.
“There has been widespread support both within the European Union and in countries due to join it, for Hungary’s overwhelming vote in favour of accession to the EU. Nearly 84% of those who took part in Saturday’s referendum backed the Hungarian political parties’ pro-Europe stand – but only 46% turned out to vote…
In the end, the only thing that mattered was that the Yes vote should be at least one-quarter of the electorate. That requirement was comfortably exceeded with the vote in favour at 38%….An overwhelming vote in favour was widely expected. With the result a foregone conclusion, the silent majority simply decided it was not worth their while to turn up and vote for – or against – accession.”
Truly awfull report in the independent today by Mary dejevsky mirroring this.
” From those who took part came the expected resounding “No” (98 per cent of votes cast). But more than half of all registered voters appear not to have felt strongly enough to cast their ballot. The 43 per cent turnout fell well short of the 50 per cent required to make the referendum legally valid.
Any calculation by Viktor Orban that he would be able to use the result to pressure the rest of the EU into abandoning all idea of quotas has misfired. He insisted yesterday that the vote had shown overwhelming support for his position. But the Luxembourg foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, who argued that Hungary deserved to be suspended or expelled from the EU for its negative attitude to refugees, should perhaps think again: Hungarians have emerged as less dogmatic or xenophobic than they were painted. ”
So the massive 57% who failed to vote can automatically be used as a counter argument. Utter utter bol%#@s.
I have never ever heard of a weaker argument. Ever.
Here is my argument. The Hungarians who did not vote, were so sure of the outcome that they did not take the day off work to vote. Hungarians love their country and culture. They don’t want to be islamified. Good for them I say.
Here in the UK local councillors get elected with turnouts as poor as 24%. No-one questions the ‘validity’ of these election results. The candidates get elected on a simple majority of those who voted, no matter how small the number. Those who don’t express a choice are ignored. If we spent our time worrying about the non-voters we would spend ages trying to settle the question of representatives & it is not practical. Following this practice of British elections Orban’s vote is valid even if it is not according to the Hungarian constitution.
Since when did Hungary or any EU country sign up for a Common Migrants Policy?
This was a key argument in the Brexit debate hence we didn`t hear much about it.
The truth is that once a migrant is granted citizenship of an EU member state, said citizen then has the right of free movement within the EU.
So anyone, granted an EU passport anywhere in the EU can come to the UK, take up residence and work or claim benefits.
So Germanys open door is our open door.
Mrs Merkel, we noticed.
Here is a new and exciting board game. The winner gets to live in Hungary, where he/she can live free of the fear of being beheaded on the streets.
Living with Moderate Muslims: the board game
http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/living-with-moderate-muslims-the-boardgame-t18168.html
Enjoy.
There were times in our recent vote where remainers tried to claim the didn’t-voters because of course leave voters were so few there was no way they wouldn’t vote.
The Hungary vote is worse because the pro-EU side cynically set out to claim abstentions and any other non-votes as being theirs.
Diane James quits as UKIP leader! The BBC will be delighted.
As a UKIP member I didn’t vote in the UKIP leadership election. I am very impressed by Prime Minister May and her commitment to Brexit which for me means UKIP has now achieved its aim and can disband. The BBC will take delight in Diane James’ resignation and with a mix of ineptitude and conceit the BBC will think this helps their campaign to stop Brexit. Perhaps after winning the 2020 election the Conservative government will take an axe to the BBC and the House of Lords.
F
“As a UKIP member” Whose contributions are therefore surprising.
“which for me means UKIP has now achieved its aim and can disband” Exactly what a member of AlBeeb staff would wish for transmit from their cushioned chair in the luxurious BBC canteen.
So no, UKIP needs more electoral support than ever, until we have a UKIP government.
A government committed to the UK, to the high culture of Western Europe.
A Government determined to punish the traitors in our society and to expel those invaders who are not only culturally distinct but long time enemies.
Then Lord Farage of London may rest but not until then.
Best wishes to all genuine West European people.
Don’t be in a rush to disband UKIP, the fear of them is what is making the Tories get in line with public opinion.
Don’t disband UKIP, with Boris praising the BBC – and he knows the BBC views on Brexit – there is not much hope of leaving the EU. I have said it often: I do not trust May. We need UKIP MPs to show some backbone to a Parliamentary Party of gutless Tories
It has been clear for some time that the Visegrad group and in particular Hungary cannot continue to remain in a German dominated EU on the current terms. Something and somebody has to give. The BBC is on the side ,as always, of the status quo and that is Germany.
So the relentless propaganda against the Visegrad group intensifies and the distortions ( I am being kind here ) continue.
By history and culture Hungary is very different from us but so uneducated are the current BBC journalists that I doubt if they have even heard of the fate of Hungary in the 1950s.
Orban is a European patriot and we will owe him much if he can force reality into the affairs of the EU.
Expect nothing but distortions from the BBC. 2016 and the spirit of Pravda and Isvestia still lives in Broadcasting House.
It is the way the EU and Mr Shultz just brush these votes, comments or political views that does not follow the overall EU policies, aside worries me. Although I have not been living in Hungary for the past 25 years it is not difficult to see why the percentages turned out the way they did. The EU promises but doesn’t deliver to anyone but those countries sitting at the top table, they makes sure the EU Parliament has no real power to vote on policies therefore only the illusion of citizen power exist. Hungarians are not stupid, there is not enough difference between the old Communist power structure led by the Soviet Union and the EU to believe their votes count, there would have been another excuse if it was 50+ percent attendance. Well, I am back home for Xmas, I shall let you know all what they truly think after a few shots of Palinka. Of course the BBC just loves this, this morning they were revelling in the fact that the pound was down, UKIP leaders failed and that Mrs May does want to limit migration and that there is a chance of left wing prorests…. Yeah….hmmm…BBC are you calling for protests? What a joke, living in special snowflake society…Orwell is rolling of laughter in his grave.
What an irony it would be: that if the country which has benefitted the most economically from the EU (Germany) initiates, through the immigration policies of Merkel, its eventual dissolution.
The turnout was low because many European supporters knew they would lose heavily so didn’t bother.
They actually tactically boycotted the vote (for fear of losing and of triggering the participation threshold)
How does refusal to vote achieve a result? only in the wacky world of EU politics.
a votes a vote, a non vote is ignored…except in EU land.
Progress Brexit a.s.a.p.
I suspect the EU-philes realise that the Visegrad Treaty states must be crushed, like Greece, in order to prevent any future disobedience.
As for the views of the BBC and the rest of the liberal media on Hungary, I couldn’t give two hoots.The people of that country were extremely kind and welcoming to me (and other foreigners I knew) when I lived there and I am pretty sure their rejection of EU quotas has very little to do with ‘racism’ or ‘xenophobia.’