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Hungarian parliament votes to let Viktor Orban rule by decree
Viktor Orban of Hungary.
It has long been noted that Orban has Alt-right/nationalist/authoritarian tendencies and is the EU Prime Minister closest to Vladimir Putin. He is also the president of Fidesz, the political party with the most seats in Hungary's parliament.
Viktor Orban of Hungary.
3/30/20
Hungary's parliament has voted to allow Prime Minister Viktor Orban to rule by decree indefinitely, in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic, giving the populist leader extra powers to unilaterally enact a series of sweeping measures. The bill, which has been criticized by international human rights watchdogs, has no specified end date and allows Orban to bypass a number of democratic institutions in his response to the outbreak. It was approved in parliament on Monday, with 138 votes in favor and 53 against. The bill required a two-thirds majority to pass. Its provisions go well beyond the various forms of legislation hastily put together by other European Union member states in response to the coronavirus pandemic, dramatically ramping up the strongman leader's powers.
Orban said on Hungarian national Kossuth radio last week: "We cannot react quickly if there are debates and lengthy legislative and lawmaking procedures. And in times of crisis and epidemic, the ability to respond rapidly can save lives. "The Government is not asking for anything extraordinary," he added. "It is asking for the ability to rapidly enact certain measures. We don't want to enact measures that the Government has no general right to enact -- we simply want to do so swiftly." But the bill has alarmed several international groups. Amnesty International warned it gives Orban's government "carte blanche to restrict human rights."
It has long been noted that Orban has Alt-right/nationalist/authoritarian tendencies and is the EU Prime Minister closest to Vladimir Putin. He is also the president of Fidesz, the political party with the most seats in Hungary's parliament.