When Viktor Orbán at the end of March due to the Corona-crisis, the perpetual danger of the situation proclamation, and the Parliament rubber-stamp left, was the international response devastating. Since Hungary's Prime Minister, received at the same time, with this particular state of emergency, the right to rule by decree - i.e., orders to adopt, which require no parliamentary scrutiny. Thus, Hungary had become a dictatorship, it was said many times.

Nearly two months later, Orbán and his government had a surprising message to her critics: In the second half of June, we will cancel the unlimited risk position. You expect then that all would have attacked the Hungarians with unjust political accusations, for their slander campaigns, apologized. Because EU-country is not to become a dictatorship. You have only to combat the pandemic, and successful - and, therefore, the danger of the situation could be lifted again.

that's Exactly what the Hungarian Parliament yesterday, Tuesday, and the special state of emergency declared closed. Now the government needs to formally announce the exact date for the end of the danger situation. Probably you will make it for Thursday (18.06.) midnight set.

Actually, many observers had expected that Orbán would maintain the permanent Corona-risk situation at least until the autumn or even the end of the year, in order to use it to Govern by decree. Now, however, Hungary's Premier in answer to his critics, the Parliament vote. "All of that here at home and abroad, dictatorship, shouted, can apologize now," he wrote on Tuesday on his Facebook page.

Orbán sham

in fact, however, the termination of the permanent risk situation is a sham. Because at the end of the previous special, the Hungarian Parliament voted also for a law on a new, so-called "medical hazard" - a newly defined state of emergency, the Orbán also the power to Rule by decree gives. And with even less control than before.

The present permanent danger of the situation had to be found at the end of March at least once by the Parliament and adopted; only after that Orbán had the unlimited full to Rule by decree in the bag. The new law goes further: Now, the government may declare, on a proposal from the top occupational health doctor of Hungary, the medical risk situation, without any prior consultation of the Parliament.

civil rights activists are sounding the Alarm

The medical risk position is for six months, but can be when needed of the government is extended. In this period, it may be adopted by any applicable law notwithstanding the decrees, and only needs to report to the health Committee of the Parliament report.

The most important Hungarian civil rights organizations had already sounded the Alarm, as the draft law has been presented. The repeal of the current risk situation is "nothing more than an optical illusion," - said in a joint opinion of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HB), the society for rights of freedom (TASZ), and Amnesty International Hungary. "If the draft is adopted in its current Form, can rule the government again, indefinitely, by decree, this time even without the mini-Constitution painting even hedges."

Rule by decree

the new draft law, as already in the previous law concerning the permanent danger of the situation - explicitly refers to the objective of epidemic control. Similarly, the government is stopped nominally for proportionality. But the practice of the last three months shows that it has not held up to both.

Since the end of March, Viktor Orbán, has issued more than 200 decrees, with the addition of a similar number of orders of individual ministries - a little more manageable collection of new statutory provisions. Many are not used to fight the epidemic, but all of the other political or economic objectives.

Parliamentary control

turned off So the business received the people out of the environment Orbán's lucrative government contracts. Access to information for journalists and the privacy were very limited. The local government taxes and other revenue have been deprived of opportunities, which is especially true of the cities and municipalities run by the Opposition. The reduction of party funding, because tax-financed campaigns in Hungary, mainly Orbán's government and his Fidesz party.

Máte Szabó, legal expert of the Hungarian non-governmental organisation society for rights of freedom (TASZ) speaks to DW of a clear abuse of the existing emergency law. "On the basis of this law, as numerous decrees have not been adopted could be adopted in a country with a healthy constitutional control mechanism."

The bill on the new medical risk situation is deteriorating, the Situation once again emphasizes Szabó. "If it is adopted, it requires no parliamentary vote," the activist, "that is why the parliamentary control of the government and their activities in a crisis is turned off situation then definitely."

author: Keno taking place

*The post "Hungary: After the emergency is published before the state of emergency" is from Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.

Deutsche Welle

Date Of Update: 17 June 2020, 09:27