Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared a second state of emergency on Tuesday, this time to deal with the fallout from the war in Ukraine, while the first case linked to the coronavirus pandemic was due to end next Tuesday.
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“The world is on the brink of an economic crisis,” the nationalist leader said on Facebook, “Hungary must stay out of this war and protect the financial security of its family,” raising concerns.
This requires flexibility and prompt action. He added that the government is exercising its right under the Basic Law and declaring a state of war emergency starting from midnight.
Shortly before this announcement, Parliament, which had just been sworn in, amended the constitution to allow such a measure to be applied “due to conflict”. Fidesz, led by Viktor Orban, has a two-thirds majority there.
The first decisions taken in this new legal framework will be announced on Wednesday, according to Viktor Urban.
The civil liberties defense NGO TASZ denounced the “state of emergency that has become permanent,” noting that it had already been established in Hungary, as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. It was due to expire on May 31.
And Viktor Orban is offered “more space than usual”, allowing him to “restrict or simply suspend the basic rights of all”, denounced the NGO, which laments the marginalization of parliament in Hungary.
In uninterrupted power for twelve years, Mr. Urban, the dean of European leaders, is regularly accused by his Western partners of abusing power in his country, a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO.
