Mr Orban’s Fidesz party and its allies fell two votes short of the required two-thirds majority in parliament, dealing another blow to the pugnacious premier just a month after low turnout rendered invalid his referendum on the refugee issue. The failure to pass the five amendments, including one stating that a “foreign population cannot be settled into Hungary,” was Orban’s second major setback after an Oct. 2 referendum — in which more than 98 percent of voters supported the government’s anti-migrant position — was declared invalid because of low voter turnout. Orban said the amendments were meant to show “that, without our consent and approval, no one can decide who we want to live with and how.”

Earlier this year, the far-right Jobbik party had proposed amendments similar to Orban’s. “The very moment the government eliminates the bonds, Jobbik is willing to vote for the constitutional amendment even within 24 hours.”

Fidesz has said it will likely eliminate the residency bonds but rejected Jobbik’s “blackmail.”

“Tying support for the constitutional amendment to other conditions is tantamount to treason,” said Lajos Kosa, head of the Fidesz faction in parliament. Image copyright AFP Image caption Members of Jobbik - the radical-right challengers to Mr Orban's Fidesz party - held aloft a banner during the vote, reading: "The traitor is the one who allows terrorists into the country for money"

Jobbik were prepared in advance for that accusation.
The National Assembly rejects Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's bill to block the settlement of refugees in Hungary. The far-right Jobbik party abstained from the vote, arguing the immigration ban should apply to all foreigners, and not just refugees.