Hungary ends controversial corona emergency
On Tuesday evening Hungary ended the state of emergency which had allowed Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to rule by decree since the end of March. The EU Commission had taken a critical view of the move. While the pro-government press is satisfied, opposition media see no cause for relief.
Orbán just doing what he promised to do
Dániel Galsai, a journalist for the pro-government daily Magyar Hírlap, criticises the opposition's reactions:
“For days I've been observing all the pitiful new theories put forward by the 'very independent' media to explain why, now that the emergency has ended, the prime minister is rescinding his authorisation to rule by decree - just as he promised to do. ... The theory that someone could do exactly what they promised to do hasn't even occurred to them. The saying 'lies have short legs' still applies for left-liberal circles.”
Parliament silent even in normal times
This won't make much of a difference, says the left-wing daily Népszava:
“Even in calm times Orbán has the powers of a dictator: what he says goes. No matter what he thinks up, the parliamentary majority is courageously silent, not a peep comes from it. Since March 11, the head of government has done nothing for which he would have needed this special authorisation. ... So all that's happening now is that the unlimited powers he was granted will be replaced by the absolute power we've all grown used to in times of peace. The only difference is that during the pandemic the prime minister temporarily removed his disguise and showed himself for what he really is. Now he's put it on again.”