So democracy is no longer a thing in Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, thanks to a 137 to 53 vote victory in the Hungarian Parliament on Monday, now rules by decree indefinitely until the government he leads says otherwise.
A Member State of the European Union, a political bloc established in part to deter a return to authoritarian rule in our continent, is now a dictatorship.
Amidst the Covid-19 dominated headlines, one of the most disturbing developments in European affairs since the Balkan War should not escape the attention of our political leaders.
Surprisingly, the Department of the Taoiseach’s home page does not currently feature any statement by Leo Varadkar regarding Monday’s developments in Budapest. And given that Fine Gael were among the EPP members which had sought the expulsion of Fidesz from the grouping last year, it’s surprising that the Taoiseach didn’t take the chance to promptly re-iterate his party's stance on Orbán.
Fidesz, ludicrously then and all the more inexplicably from this juncture, were only suspended from the European People’s Party (EPP) grouping in March of last year. According to RTE reporting: “A statement said the suspension was a joint decision by Fidesz and the EPP in a last minute re-wording intended to stop Mr Orban from slamming the door on the group forever.”
This morning, the Danish Conservative People’s party rightly called for the expulsion of Fidesz from the EPP (of which Fine Gael is a member), with MEP Pernille Weiss tweeting: “For too long we have watched the democratic decline in Budapest!”
In a video posted this evening, EPP President and former European Council President Donald Tusk stated: “The first clear political conclusion, after two months of pandemic on our continent is more Europe, not less. The fight against the pandemic cannot have a national character. The virus does not respect borders. The virus is a cosmopolite.”
Mr Tusk added: “Extraordinary measures, often restricting democracy, are also necessary in this time. The pandemic justifies that they are applied but it does not justify that they are abused. The state of emergency or the state of danger must serve the governments in the fight against the virus and not transcend a power over the citizens. Making use of the pandemic to build a permanent state of emergency is politically dangerous and morally unacceptable.
“This is why so many questions and concerns appear regarding the situation in Hungary where, according to many, the emergency measures which have been introduced are disproportionate and inadequate and what is more, they have been introduced for an indefinite period of time. Many of you, even if you criticised Prime Minister Orbán for his previous decisions, did not agree to expel Fidesz from our political family. Today, we have of course much more important things on our mind; our top priority is the fight against the pandemic but the time will soon come when you will have to again reconsider your positions.”
These comments went somewhat further than those issued by European Commission President and fellow EPP member Ursula von der Leyen in a statement issued yesterday.
Granted, President von der Leyen noted: “It is of utmost importance that emergency measures are not at the expense of our fundamental principles and values as set out in the Treaties. Democracy cannot work without free and independent media. Respect for freedom of expression and legal certainty are essential in these uncertain times…
“Any emergency measures must be limited to what is necessary and strictly proportionate. They must not last indefinitely. Moreover, governments must make sure that such measures are subject to regular scrutiny.”
While pledging the Commission’s intent to monitor “in a spirit of cooperation, the application of emergency measures in all Member States”, President von der Leyen remarkably failed to make specific reference to Hungary.
The Washington Post reported that the emergency legislation passed by a parliament in which Orbán enjoys a two-thirds majority had been “cast in politically convenient terms” by the Prime Minister, who has described it as “a menace” carried by “unwelcome” foreign migrants.
“Changing lives is now unavoidable,” Orbán contended. “Everyone has to leave their comfort zone. This law gives the government the power and means to defend Hungary.”
The new laws at Orbán’s disposal mean that no by-elections can be held while those accused of publicising what the Hungarian Government considers untrue statements will face several years in jail. The emergency legislation can only be removed by a two-thirds vote of parliament and the signature of President János Áder.
In addition, mayors and local authorities across Hungary are to be stripped of their powers which will now be handed to ‘County Assembly Chairmen’ – almost all members of Fidesz – in addition to ‘Defence Committees’.
According to Dávid Vig, Amnesty International's Hungary director: “This bill would create an indefinite and uncontrolled state of emergency and give Viktor Orbán and his government carte blanche to restrict human rights.” He told The Guardian: “This is not the way to address the very real crisis that has been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
US Congressman Adam Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted: “This is how democracies die: When they cede too much power, give in to the decrees of an autocratic ruler, punish dissent, and forget the past horrors of dictatorship. Democratic freedoms must be safeguarded, especially in times of crisis.”
Writing in The Guardian, Péter Krekó, the director of the Budapest-based Political Capital Institute commented: “As a result (of these emergency powers), the few remaining checks and balances in Hungary will cease to exist, with the government ruling by decree with hardly any legal supervision. No elections and no rallies can be held. Hungary has become a textbook case of how coronavirus can be used for authoritarian ends.”
Just as no-one can state with certainty when the Covid-19 crisis will be consigned to history, no-one other than a man just granted autocratic powers can state when – or if – Hungary will be re-constituted as a functional democracy.
Forget Brexit. What’s been inflicted on the people of Hungary, who spent the latter half of the 20th Century under the yoke of Community oppression, is an altogether more retrograde development, and it’s a move that should concern us all.
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