The Hungarian parliament is due to consider a draft law that would give Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán extraordinary powers to rule by decree during the state of emergency, without a clear cut-off date.
The ‘Bill on Protection against the Coronavirus’, proposed by Justice Minister Judit Varga on March 20, seeks to extend the state of emergency due to COVID-19 outbreak until the end of 2020, and to increase penalties for those breaking the quarantine and even imprisonment for those spreading misinformation and interfere with the “successful protection” of the public.
No midterm elections can be held, and already scheduled elections will be cancelled, while the initiation of referenda will be banned.
“In such emergency the Government … in order to guarantee for Hungarian citizens the safety of life and health, personal safety, the safety of assets and legal certainty as well as the stability of the national economy, may suspend the enforcement of certain laws, depart from statutory regulations and implement additional extraordinary measures by decree,” the draft law reads.
The bill has sparked acute criticism by several MEPs and Hungary’s MPs who oppose both to Orban’s indefinite mandate and the state’s of emergency indefinite extension. While for the bill to pass, it requires a four-fifths majority, opposition parties in Hungary said they will oppose to the bill if not modified.
If the government does not secure support, the draft law is expected to be voted in a regular voting procedure, eight days later, as the country’s ruling Fidesz party has a constitutional two-thirds majority in the national parliament.
“Viktor Orbán must not be given a carte blance to further empower himself and strip away citizens’ rights,” Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, MEP of the Greens/EFA group said.
Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted the importance of safeguarding fundamental rights, even in emergency occassions.
#COVID19 bill T/9790 in #Hungary's Parliament would grant sweeping powers to the gov to rule by decree w/o a clear cut-off date & safeguards.
Even in an emergency, it is necessary to observe the Constitution, ensure parliamentary & judicial scrutiny & right to information.
— Commissioner for Human Rights (@CommissionerHR) March 23, 2020