Hungary has ended its emergency rule by decree — and introduced a system that allows the government to continue issuing decrees with little oversight.
The Hungarian parliament’s decision in March to grant the government the power to rule by decree without a set time limit sparked criticism from opposition parties, international rights groups and members of the European Parliament, who argued that the measure undermined checks and balances. The government announced late Wednesday that the emergency rule by decree had ended.
However, the government has now declared a “state of medical crisis” until mid-December, with a review planned in three months. Under this new system, the government is allowed to issue a wide range of decrees, but cannot change laws on its own or restrict fundamental rights. The state of medical crisis cannot be lifted by the parliament.
Civil society groups have raised concerns about the lack of parliamentary oversight of this new legal order.
The government, however, rejected these concerns and asked critics to apologize over comments about the country’s state of emergency and rule by decree.
“Those who cried dictatorship home and abroad can now extend their apologies!” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on social media earlier this week.