Steven N.
The opposition continues to collect signatures at a brisk pace on petitions for a national referendum to be held during Parliamentary elections in April, although it does not seem likely that it will get the necessary amount by the end of the year. The questions proposed by the opposition concern Fudan University and extending the unemployment benefit period.
Ágnes Kunhalmi, co-chair of opposition party MSZP, stated on ATV’s “Voks 2022” program that 50,000-55,000 signatures had already been collected by Tuesday evening. Representatives for the initiative claimed that they had 25,000 signatures by December 21.
The two questions were submitted by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, and the entire opposition is now pitching in to gather the necessary signatures, including the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, despite not being part of the six-party united coalition.
On December 8, Karácsony wrote on Facebook that “we will receive the signature sheets within a day or two and manage to get 200,000 signatures this year so that we can have a say in our future.” However, the National Election Office only handed over the signature sheets to the Mayor of Budapest on December 15.
The two questions approved by the National Election Office, which each require 200,000 valid signatures to appear on a national referendum, are the following:
Do you agree that the maximum period for the payment of unemployment benefits should be 270 days?
Do you agree that the National Assembly should repeal Act LXXXI of 2021 on the Fudan Hungary University Foundation regarding the transfer of assets to the Fudan Hungary University Foundation?
[Index][Photo: Gergely Karácsony / Facebook]
