Hungary’s Government Seeking Unlimited Powers In New Coronavirus Bill

In these difficult times, much of our attention is naturally absorbed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as countries rush to mitigate the devastating consequences of the coronavirus outbreak, it is easy to lose sight of some governments’ attempts to roll back democracy and their citizens’ fundamental rights.

Perhaps the most striking, albeit unsurprising case in point in Europe, is Hungary. Last week, the country’s government proposed legislative changes that would markedly expand its executive powers while resulting, in consequence, in potential suppression of the media and opposition.

Hungary, similarly to many other EU states, declared the state of emergency earlier this month in order to more effectively fight the coronavirus pandemic. The state of emergency grants the government additional temporary powers that it can resort to if need be. 

The trouble is, however, that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is now actively seeking an open-ended extension of these powers. Turning Hungary into a one-man state, this would further undermine the already weakened democratic checks and balances. 

If passed by the parliament this week, the so-called Bill on Protection Against Coronavirus would mean that the government could in effect rule by decree and bypass the legislature for as long as the indefinite state of emergency is in place.

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, HCLU warns that such changes would most likely lead to further erosion of media freedoms and pluralism. Under this new law, no elections or referenda could be held, and the ban could only be lifted by the government itself or a two-thirds majority in parliament where Orbán’s Fidesz party reigns supreme, occupying 133 of 199 seats. 

Furthermore, the opponents of the bill are concerned that the proposed penalties and jail sentences for those who spread distortions and false information about coronavirus could be misconstrued and used to silence Orbán’s detractors. Anyone criticising the government’s response to the pandemic could be considered as ‘obstructing’ the authorities and hence be criminalised.

No crisis will go to waste

While the European Commission is yet to comment on the bill directly, its spokesperson has covertly expressed the institution’s reservations towards Orbán’s recent power grab by saying that “in times of crisis, it is more important than ever that journalists can do their job properly” and that “all emergency measures should be temporary in nature and address a particular crisis situation.”

But where the European Commission lacks in boldness, the Council of Europe has proven to be more upfront and explicit. The Council of Europe’s Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has openly criticised the indefinite and uncontrolled state of emergency which “cannot guarantee that the basic principles of democracy will be observed” while underlining that the emergency measures restricting fundamental rights should be “strictly proportionate to the threat which they are supposed to counter.”

But if Hungary’s previous diplomatic spats and conflicts are anything to go by, it is unlikely that these interventions will have any significant bearing on the country’s government and politics in general.

Viktor Orbán, who has become very comfortable with the idea of being able to govern Hungary for the past decade largely unopposed, is constantly testing the boundaries of how far the domestic audience and the international community will allow him to go. 

And a shrewd politician as he is, Viktor Orbán, who has previously been able to solidify his power on the back of the highly contentious migrant crisis, is unlikely to let this crisis go to waste, especially since much of the world is too busy attending to its own problems to be paying any attention to what is happening in Hungary.