Hungary's parliament nixes gov't anti-migrant constitutional amendment

Hungary's parliament failed on Tuesday to pass a constitutional amendment aimed at derailing the European Union's bid to have all European Union members admit refugees.

The vote fell two short of the two-thirds majority needed, having been supported solely by the governing Fidesz Party, while the opposition, both left and right, declined to endorse it.

The radical right Jobbik party, a staunch opponent of any form of integration and therefore a potential ally, had demanded that the government ax a bond deal granting residence to wealthy foreigners willing to buy a 300,000 euro residency bond. Prime Minister Viktor Orban declined to indulge Jobbik, saying he refused to give in to "blackmail", essentially dooming the vote.

Jobbik chair Gabor Vona said afterwards that if the government accepted its conditions it was still ready to support it, should the proposal be resubmitted.

This was the first time since Fidesz took office in 2010 that Orban has been unable to push through an issue that mattered to him.

Orban had argued for the amendment, calling it a possibly vital issue and the "summary" of Hungary's dispute with Brussels on immigration.

The thwarted amendment would have banned any mass resettlements, requiring case-by-case approval by Hungarian authorities, which would reinforce current Hungarian law that already specifies this.

The left-wing opposition argued against the amendment on grounds that it changed nothing and was essentially government posturing. The left parties declined to vote.

Analysts say that failure to pass the amendment may be a blessing in disguise for Orban for it offers him a golden opportunity to keep the migrant issue, which has boosted his popularity immensely, on his agenda and to disparage opposition parties for failing to support it.

The amendment proposal came on the heels of a referendum, which overwhelmingly supported Orban's anti-immigrant stance but was rendered invalid by low turnout. Endit