He said the new law only covers those who intentionally spread fake information that hampers the government response to coronavirus. Opponents, predictably, were cast as indifferent to saving the lives of Hungarians, while Kovács also said it was logical to introduce jail terms for spreading false rumours. Today, we confront not a military power but are in a war-like state to defend our people against a pandemic the likes of which we have not seen in a century,” said Orbán’s spokesman Zoltán Kovács earlier this week, defending the Hungarian measures.
“Just as in wartime, a state of emergency could extend until the end of hostilities. The terrifying situation in which anyone, anywhere, can be a potential threat is a perfect mobilising force for authoritarians, and many have explicitly compared the current situation to a state of war, applying military terminology to civilian life, and implying that the kind of restrictions applicable in wartime, when questioning the government could be seen as unpatriotic or even traitorous, should now apply. “This makes people ready to tolerate everything, because when the danger is everywhere, you believe only the government can help you,” he said. Krastev compared the current crisis to the financial crisis of 2008 and the migration crisis of 2015, and said that while then the responses in Europe were driven by anxiety, this time the dominant emotion is fear, which is much more direct.
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Additionally, Netanyahu’s trial on charges of bribery and fraud has also been delayed for two months because of the state of emergency.Īt a time when even stepping outside could be dangerous, mass protests against government moves are a non-starter, and international criticism is not likely to be robust given other leaders are occupied with combating the crises in their own countries.Īdditionally, citizens may feel more willing to give governments the benefit of the doubt in the current circumstances, preferring an entrenching of the status quo to weak or divided government. Despite having failed three times to form a government in the past year, he is now in talks with his rival, Benny Gantz, to agree on a deal for him to remain prime minister for at least the next two years. While Orbán is a leader flying high who has sought to push the boundaries even further, in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has looked to use the situation to ease himself out of a sticky spot. “He’s trying and testing, to see what the market will take.” Orbán, he said, is experimenting with what might be possible in this sudden new reality. Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian political scientist who has written extensively on European political shifts, referred to the Hungarian law as “a kind of authoritarian entrepreneurship”, comparing it to people selling masks and other equipment at inflated prices. The Hungarian government, which in the decade since Orbán took over has been accused of rolling back freedoms and democratic norms, has insisted that its measures are purely about fighting the coronavirus, and Orbán’s spokesman has dismissed criticism of them as “fake news”.īut the country’s beleaguered opposition says it offered to agree to everything, in the spirit of national unity, but merely asked for a time-based renewal clause to be placed on the measures.
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