Hungary effectively suspends parliament, elections, as Orban tightens grip during pandemic


Shutting things down is the norm for governments around the world right now in light of the coronavirus pandemic, but Hungary took things to another level Monday.
The country's ruling party overrode their parliamentary opposition and passed an emergency bill effectively ceding sole authority to Prime Minister Viktor Orban for an indefinite period of time. There won't be any by-elections or referendums for the time being, and Orban will have the ability to bypass parliament when making decisions. The Constitutional Court will still review government actions, but Orban has stacked the body with loyalists over the years, reports Bloomberg.
The new bill also sets the stage for harsh punishments for Hungary's citizens should they violate coronavirus-related measures.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Orban has reportedly been tightening his grip on power for a while which has made many of his European Union colleagues uneasy. So it's no surprise the latest move quickly drew strong rebukes. "I don't know of another democracy where the government has effectively asked for a free hand to do anything for however long," said Renata Uitz, director of the comparative constitutional law program at Central European University in Budapest.
Orban and his allies, however, have suggested everyone relax. The prime minister said the emergency measure poses no threat to democracy, while Justice Minister Judit Varga said the legislation is "limited." Read more at Bloomberg.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling California
speed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county
-
Supreme Court lowers bar in discrimination cases
speed read The court ruled in favor of a white woman who claimed she lost two deserved promotions to gay employees
-
Trump-Musk relationship implodes in taunts, threats
speed read Musk said Trump's multitrillion bill would cause a recession and accused the president of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein