To Vote or not to Vote

Tomorrow, Sunday, Hungarians have the chance to vote in a referendum. On the ballot are three questions, each of which, if passed, would reverse a money-raising policy put in place by the current government. Basically, the current Socialist-led government, in an effort to fix a big budget deficit, instituted a fee for going to the doctor, being admitted to the hospital, and a tuition charge for going to university.

None of these fees are popular, some argue that they are nonetheless necessary and not very big anyway. Polls show they are likely to get a majority of the vote. Referendum rules require that at least a certain number of people vote in order for the referendum to pass -- so the best strategy for people who oppose the referendum is not to vote at all.

We see posters around town for the referendum that prominently feature the word "Igen" (yes). I don't think I've yet seen a poster for the opposition, although the Prime Minister and others have spoken out against it. Here's a photo of a poster I took off a wall for my collection, and you can see and learn more at pestiside.hu and politics.hu. If you can trust me and my new dictionary, it says: This Sunday, YES. Repeal them (the checkmarks: doctor's visit fees, tuition fees, hospital stay fees). The responsible choice, FIDESZ (the party that called for the referendum).