a referendum is valid in Hungary if the majority constitutes more than 25% of all eligible voters (i.e. in theory, a 25% turnout with 100% Yes vote is a valid and successful referendum).
I don't understand your argument about low turnout. How would the failure an anti-reforms referendum on participation undermine the neolibs? Maybe you misread me on the polls, and thought the wide mayority for Yes is a wide majority for the reforms rather than for repealing them?
Sounds to me like Hungary needs its own Die Linke.
Would I wish a genuine hard-left party, also for the political youth to see another way to be radical than being fascist, and desperate pensioners seeing other saviours than the fascists or king Orbán. But the special circumstances of re-unified Germany (where the post-reformed-communists weren't regime changers [i.e. old cadre = new businessman] and were kept from corrupting power, and merged with Western new/old leftists) don't exist here.
Wasn't Erich Hoenicker's younger brother in Hungary?
Hinecker. Never heard of a younger brother. At any rate, this has to be a bad joke.
I note that there is a post-unreformed-communist party in Hungary, currently called Hungarian Communist Workers' Party. Unfortunately, it is an irrelevancy consisting of a couple of Kádár nostalgics around a would-be-Big-Brother who likes to cozy up to dictators, personally: he was first to greet the coup leaders against Gorbachev in Moscow, then came overtures to Milo and Saddam. (They are also the last holders to the regime propaganda on 1956, and thus as steadfast deniers of its leftist nature as the Right -- including the, heh, real existing communism of the Workers' Councils.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Incidentally, I was thinking of you today due to a similar subject: I thought that with no one closer around, I should write a diary on the current government's flat tax plans. But would you be willing to write such a diary, or one on other new developments since the election? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
25% means better than 50% of 50%, that's a pretty easy threshold to pass,though most recent US Presidents (Bush 1, Clinton either time, or Bush 2) haven't passed it.
I dunno, I still wouldn't vote. It only encourages them. Anyhow, I'm sure the SNCF is hiring quality people, how is your French? Our President is also Hungarian, you know, and my wife is too (by half)...
And yes, I was joking about Honecker. Fai de bèn a Bertrand, te lou rendra en cagant
Thus, if 70% vote Yes but turnout is just 35%, the majority voted against reforms but the vote is invalid (the majority, here the Yes side, is just 24.5% of all). And then the reformists can claim the support or toleration of the 'silent majority' (who stayed home).
I'm sure the SNCF is hiring quality people, how is your French? Our President is also Hungarian, you know, and my wife is too (by half)...
Mon français est mauvais... base level, I wanted to go on to medium level, but my company didn't support a course the next year. Your prez turned mud to shit, but maybe I can derail his ambitions?... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
In Serbia consitutional reform only passes if 50% of eligible voters vote for the reform. So if you don't vote, you are voting against. So in essense it is far easier to vote against - those who are simply apathetic stay home and watch basketball instead of bothering to vote and thus they vote no. And, the logical extension, most people who vote (90%+) vote yes because the only reason they would vote is to vote yes. Sounds like Hungary has the same mechanism but with a (thankfully if you are for the change) lower passage threshold.
Sounds like your "socialists" have gamed the referendum to make sure they get the advantage of the apathetic vote. Negative-option voting though is pretty undemocratic and I would think this vote will not pass the smell test for whomever actually wants to have Hungary have a modern healthcare delivery system some day.
I guess in view of this I'd go and vote yes. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Fai de bèn a Bertrand, te lou rendra en cagant
If Fidesz wins the next election and tries to pass the same policy they can be fought then. We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo
Sounds like your "socialists" have gamed the referendum
You again don't get it :-) You seem to be thinking in terms of constitution changing referendums only, when there is an obligation to put some big change up for vote before implementing it. (I am guessing France only has those and your US state has none.) But there are referenda only concerning changes in law not constitution, based on public initiatives. This referendum is such a referendum, they were the initiative of Fidesz, which collected 200,000 signatures for each.
Nothing MSzP could game to its advantage there. In fact, that 25% rule works to their advantage: all they need is to gather 25%+1 for voting Yes, they don't depend on another 25% turning up to vote No.
Negative-option voting though is pretty undemocratic
I don't understand the above at all. People just can't say no? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
