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(Express) AN OVERWHELMING 92 per cent of Hungarian voters have rejected the imposition of Brussels migrant quotas in the country's referendum today.
The final result from the historic poll shows that more than nine in 10 voters rebelled against Jean-Claude Juncker's EU Commission in a crushing blow to the EU project.
In total 92.3 per cent of people voted 'no' to migrant quotas, compared to just 1.4 per cent who said yes. A further six per cent of the ballots were spoiled in protest.
Jubilant politicians from the ruling Fidesz party claimed victory in the historic vote shortly after polling stations closed and said it was a sign of people turning their backs on bullying Brussels.
Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs roared: “The majority of the rejection to Brussels politics is overwhelming.”
He added: “As this referendum was initiated by the government, we have no other choice but to consider the citizens’ decision binding to the government.
"But it is also binding to Brussels, because they cannot go against a referendum.“
Hungary is led by eurosceptic president Viktor Orban, who had vowed to quit as the country's leader if he failed to win a majority.
And there was a blow to his pride with the voter turnout at just 42 per cent, well below the 50 per cent threshold required to make the referendum valid in Hungarian law.
The result means that more than three million people voted to reject the quotas, but one election analyst still described the vote as a "fiasco" for Mr Orban, who staked his reputation on a strong public backlash against the EU.
But a triumphant Mr Orban roared back: "The results of the referendum are great. This will be a strong enough weapon for us in Brussels.
"Hungary voted to keep its freedom, its right to decide who we want to live together with, and we decided that we won’t give this right to Brussels.
"We can be proud that Hungarian people were the first to be given the right to express their opinion on Brussels politics."
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