The S&D Group has condemned the upcoming referendum in Hungary on the relocation of refugees.
S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:
“Orbán keeps on peddling the same lie about the invasion of migrants. This referendum is yet another sham designed to demonise refugees and bolster Orbán’s approval ratings. There is no invasion and it is a shame that the Hungarian government is blocking the relocation system put in place by the Commission for merely internal propaganda reasons.
“The alleged €40 million that Orbán has wasted on staging this stunt could have been used to help the lives of Hungarian people and help provide solutions to the refugee crisis. Instead, he just breeds fear and hatred. We fully support our member party’s decision to boycott this pointless exercise.
“The question is how long the European Union will tolerate that Orbán and Fidesz’s demonisation of migrants and the EU. As a European taxpayer, I am also strongly concerned about the non-transparent use of EU-funds in Hungary and accusations of widespread corruption. The Commission and the EPP Group cannot keep turning a blind eye whenever Orbán acts out – we need to show that we are serious about enforcing our rules and ensuring European values are met.”
