Helsinki File: COVID-19 and the state of danger

Recent developments in Hungary once again highlight how the “state of danger” is a tool to concentrate powers in the hands of the executive. Our one-pager explains the deficient framework and how it is abused in practice.

Mapping paper on the public consultation on draft laws, parliamentary law-making, and the perpetuated states of exception

Four years have passed since the Hungarian Government first declared a state of danger, a special legal order regime, allowing it to override higher level laws in emergency decrees overnight. The Government has been maintaining … Read more

The Hungarian Government declared the first state of danger more than three and a half years ago. Since March 2020, except for a few months, the Government has maintained a “rule by decree” system. Even now. This allows the Government to override acts from one day to the next, and the Government has been taking advantage of this opportunity to adopt hundreds of emergency decrees. Many of these have no connection to the pandemic or the war in Ukraine and only serve the Government’s political purposes.

Severely deteriorating conditions in the public education system in Hungary have led teachers, students and parents to make increasingly louder demands for change. However, instead of listening to their fact-based concerns, the Hungarian government has … Read more

The Hungarian government first acquired excessive emergency powers with a view to the pandemic in the spring of 2020: it declared a “state of danger” (veszélyhelyzet), a special legal order regime, while the governing majority … Read more

The Hungarian government terminated the state of danger as of 1 November 2022, and then re-declared as of the same day, referring to the war in Ukraine. This was necessary because the constitutional rules on the special legal order, including the state of danger, have changed as of 1 November. According to expert opinion, the amendment to the Fundamental Law and to related laws served one purpose: to provide the Government with exclusive and effectively unlimited power in any exceptional situation.

On 8 June 2022, the governing majority in the Hungarian Parliament adopted the Fourth Authorization Act, which completes the Hungarian Government’s efforts to keep its excessive regulatory powers acquired first with a view to the … Read more

Our briefing paper provides an overview of the emergency regimes introduced in Hungary due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020 until the present day and explains the consequences in terms of the executive’s powers.

Two new Bills proposed by the Minister of Justice this week show that the Hungarian Government would use the war in Ukraine as a pretext to keep its excessive regulatory powers, while amending the constitution the 10th time.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee took part in an international comparative study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the regulation and application of penalties and measures as alternatives to imprisonment in Hungary. In the research, … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has carried out an exploratory study on the practice of remote hearings in Hungary with a special focus on legislative changes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our main research question was … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has carried out an exploratory study on the past few years’ militarisation tendencies and the changing constitutional role of the military in Hungary. Summary of activities and outcomes: Mapping changes and … Read more

18 months have passed since the last hearing was held in the Article 7 procedure. During this time qualitative changes have occurred in the nature of the Hungarian illiberal regime. We look at some of the key issues today’s Article 7 hearing in the General Affairs Council should take into account.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee is taking part in an international comparative study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the regulation and application of penalties and measures as alternatives to imprisonment in Hungary. In … Read more

The outburst of the coronavirus pandemic triggered a robust militarisation process in Hungary. As a response to the COVID-19 infection, the Hungarian government has not only vested the military forces with new, extraordinary powers during … Read more

Who Can Enter Hungary During Covid-19 Restrictions?
Information leaflet of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee

We have not been able to use public spaces to fulfill their important public function for 175 days, and counting. Dog walking, coming and going, shopping, queuing, sitting out on a restaurant terrace, drinking a beer – all of these activities are now permitted again in public spaces. However, if we want to hold an assembly, a protest march or a standing demonstration – that is still completely forbidden. We continue to be totally deprived of our fundamental right to assembly. We protest! Total prohibition is not the answer.

According to the Government decree of 12 February 2021, people who have been infected with COVID-19 or have been vaccinated are entitled to an immunity pass. Information on the immunity pass is summarised in this leaflet.

It is expected that the Hungarian Government will extend the officially declared state of danger due to the Covid-19 pandemic for a period lasting 22 February 2021 until 22 May 2021. Exceptional rules will continue to apply to residence permit validity.