Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared a “military state of emergency” on May 24.
“We don’t waste a single minute, as there is a war going on nearby. A war with no end in sight, which is a constant threat to Hungary, endangers our physical security, as well as threatens the energy supply and financial security of the economy and families,” he said.
Ukrainian society is surprised by this decision of the Hungarian authorities, as it was made three months after the outbreak of the war. After all, Hungarian authorities did not see the threat of war when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees fled through Hungary during the attempts of the russian occupiers to surround Kyiv.
Such a dramatic wording for declaring a state of emergency is purely manipulative and designed to draw the attention of Hungarians to V. Orban’s personal efforts in governing the country. In this context, one should also take into account the significant political experience of the Hungarian leader, whose team won the parliamentary elections for the fourth time. That is why the struggle for the popularity of the electorate begins immediately after the elections.
Hungary provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine and has accommodated Ukrainian refugees, but does not support increased sanctions against the Russian oil and gas sector, particularly because of its dependence on russian gas and oil. And the main mission of V. Orban’s government, announced during the parliamentary elections, is to avoid any participation of Hungary in the russo-Ukrainian war.
Earlier, Hungarian legislation did not provide for the declaration of a state of emergency due to a war or humanitarian disaster in a neighboring country. Therefore, the parliament approved the composition of the new government and made a corresponding amendment to the country’s constitution.
It is important to mention that Hungary has been in a state of emergency for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was supposed to end on May 31 this year, as all quarantine restrictions had already been lifted at the beginning of March.
Considering the constitutional majority in the Hungarian parliament, which is currently held by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP team, V. Orban almost single-handedly influences the country’s policy. Accordingly, the state of emergency makes it easier for him to carry out various government measures. At the same time, it is the state of emergency that legally limits the democratic control of civil society over the actions of the country’s leadership.
Hence, the Hungarian authorities simply continued the regime convenient for governing the country with a more relevant justification of its expediency.
