page_title: 2016 Hungarian migrant quota referendum
section_title: No
hierarchical_section_title: 2016 Hungarian migrant quota referendum / Campaign / Campaign methods / No
caption_attribution_description: Magyar: A Fidesz-KDNP kormány egyik plakátja a 2016-os magyar kvótanépszavazás előtt pár nappal, a "nem" szavazatra buzdítva. English: One of the Fidesz-KDNP government's billboards a few days before the 2016 Hungarian quota referendum, advocating a "no" vote. Translation of billboard text: "Let's not take chances! Let's vote no! October 2"
context_page_description: A referendum related to the European Union's migrant relocation plans was held in Hungary on 2 October 2016.
  The referendum was initiated by the government, under the provision of article 8 of the new constitution of 2012.
  It was commonly referred to as the kvótanépszavazás or kvótareferendum in the Hungarian media.
  While an overwhelming majority of voters rejected the EU's migrant quotas, voter turnout was below the 50% which would have been required for the result to be considered valid.
context_section_description: According to a public interest disclosure by the prime minister's Cabinet Office in late September 2016, the Fidesz–KDNP government had spent at least HUF 11,3 billion (10⁹; €34 million) on "information campaign" in relation to the subject of migration policy since December 2015. According to the liberal portal 444.hu, the government contracted with numerous advertising agencies which owned by Fidesz-backed entrepreneurs (for instance, Csaba Csetényi, István Garancsi and Andrew G. Vajna). Within this amount, the government paid for commercials in the following financial breakdown: radio stations with national coverage (HUF 391,4 M), websites (HUF 524,7 M), newspapers (HUF 717,5 M), TV channels (HUF 2,2 B). In accordance with the press conference of Socialist politician Tamás Harangozó, who requested the disclosure of the data series, the amount covers only the period to the end of July 2016. Harangozó said the total amount could reach HUF 16–17 billion, including the referendum's administrative costs. The politician noted, comparing to the current cost, the Fidesz spent only HUF 2,8 billion for campaign during the 2014 parliamentary election. Fidesz-ally non-governmental organizations and trade unions, like Sándor Lezsák's National Forum, the National Alliance of Hungarian Farmers (Magosz), the Civil Unity Forum (CÖF), the Smallholders' Civic Association (KPE), the Batthyány Society of Professors (PBK), the Association of Christian Intellectuals (KÉSZ), the National Federation of Workers' Councils (MOSZ), the Hungarian Civil Cooperation Association (MPEE) and the Club of Young Families (Ficsak), also joined the campaign with own budget.
  During the campaign, public spaces and the media were inundated by large billboards with messages, such as "Did you know? More than 300 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Europe since the start of the migrant crisis", "Did you know? The Paris terrorist attacks were carried out by immigrants", "Did you know? 1,5 million illegal immigrants arrived to Europe in 2015", "Did you know? Brussels wants the forced resettling of a city's worth of illegal immigrants into Hungary", "Did you know? Almost one million immigrants want to come to Europe from Libya alone?" and "Did you know? Since the start of the immigration crisis, sexual harassment of women has increased in Europe?". Several critics described these slogans as "xenophobic" and "racist". Emma Graham-Harrison, columnist of The Guardian wrote on 17 September 2016, the government campaign is characterized by "violent language" and "bitterly contested claims" (including about alleged "no-go zones" throughout Western Europe). Al Jazeera quoted a Hungarian Muslim woman, who said "I'm starting to feel that my own homeland is repudiating me". John Dalhuisen, director at Amnesty International (AI) told "Prime Minister Orbán has replaced the rule of law with the rule of fear". Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács denied these accusations and called the messages as manifestations of "common sense". He said "People all over the EU sense that something wrong is happening with migration. What is happening is out of control. We need to regain our ability to reinforce law and order at the borders of the European Union". Nevertheless, multiple surveys showed that xenophobia and distrust towards the asylum-seekers and refugees increased dramatically due to the government campaign methods. As Publicus Intézet pointed in September 2016, while two-thirds of respondents expressed their tolerance and pro-migrant support in the last year, now, only one-third of them. Sociologist Endre Sik, head of Tárki public opinion research institute said, in the summer of 2016, "racism and xenophobia in Hungary has reached its peak since 1990", after when "all refugees left [Hungary] in January", he added. A late September survey by Závecz Research also showed that 70 percent of the respondents thought that "influx of refugees increases the risk of terrorism". According to the survey, 80 percent of the Hungarian population were completely or moderately rejecteing again
caption: One of the government's billboards, advocating a "no" vote
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