The Constitution of the Republic of Hungary declares that, in the Republic of Hungary, citizens shall participate in the administration of the affairs of the country primarily through their elected representatives, indirectly. However, the indirect participation of the people in deciding or influencing outstandingly important issues of public interest is also part of democracy. The national referendum serves the above purpose.

National referenda shall be ordered by the Parliament. 

National referenda may be held in the following two situations:

a) The Parliament is obliged to instruct a referendum at the initiative of at least 200,000 voters – regardless of whether it agrees to the announcement of the referendum. Such referenda shall be definitive, i.e. the result shall be binding for the Parliament,

b) In the cases provided for by the law, the Parliament is only obliged to consider the instruction of a referendum, i.e. to decide whether or not it will announce the referendum, which is called an optional referendum. Optional referenda may be either the expression of an opinion or of a definitive nature.

An optional national referendum may be held at the initiative of:

a) voters (in the event between 100,000 and 200,000 voters support the initiative), 

b) the President of the Republic,

c) the Government,

d) at least one-third of the elected Members of Parliament.

Importantly, the persons initiating the referendum shall draw up the question to be put to popular vote.

The President of the Republic shall set the date of the referendum.

The President of the Republic shall set the date of the referendum within 15 days of the expiration, without a result, of the date for legal remedy against the parliamentary decision ordering the referendum or of the decision concerning the legal remedy.

The referendum shall be set for a date within 90 days following the publication of the respective parliamentary decision or of the decision concerning the legal remedy.

The referendum shall not:

 - be held on a national holiday, a holiday or the day preceding or following a holiday or a national holiday,
 - be held on the day of the election of Members of Parliament or the election of members of local municipal corporations and mayors, or during the preceding or following 41-day period.

If, due to the parliamentary elections or the general municipal elections, a referendum cannot be held within 90 days of the instruction thereof by the Parliament, the referendum shall be held within 131 days following the election. 

The conclusive referendum

A national referendum shall be deemed conclusive if - regardless of the number of participating voters - more than half of the voters casting a valid vote at the referendum, but at least one-quarter of all voters have given the same answer to the question submitted.

The Parliament instructed the NATO referendum of 1997 in its own discretion, and acknowledged the result of the referendum binding and definitive with regard to the legislation.

The result of and participation at the 1997 referendum:

The result the referendum of November 16, 1997
National data

Number of legal voters: 8,059,039

Attended: 3.968.668 people, 49,25 percent of the electorate
Not voted: 4.090.371 people, 50,76 percent of the electorate

Voted YES: 3.344.131 people, 85,33 percent of the electorate
Voted NO: 574.983 people, 14,67 percent of the electorate

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