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And why no-one can stop him, according to Cameron Dasgupta. This Op-Ed explores the steps taken by Viktor Orbán throughout the pandemic, as "emergency powers" allegedly aim to protect the country. However, this article argues that such moves are part of an insidious power grab. Learn why the EU finds itself in a challenging position, unable to impose sanctions or punishments upon this now-autocratic regime.
For the last 10 years Viktor Orbàn and his Fidesz party have been eroding away at Hungary’s democracy. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation, since it has provided the perfect backdrop for Orbán to consolidate his power. The ruling Fidesz party recently gave Orbán “emergency powers” to supposedly better tackle the pandemic, however he has seemingly used them to speed up the process of turning Hungary into an authoritarian regime. With Orbán in control of Hungary’s institutions and the EU unable to hold Orbán accountable, Hungary is descending slowly into the EU’s first dictatorship.
On the 30th of March, parliament (controlled by the Fidesz party) passed a vote allowing for the prime minister, Viktor Orbán to be given the right to rule by decree. The right to rule by decree allows Orbán to pass legislation without any opposition. Whilst this power is used in times of emergencies, it can also be very dangerous because the government is able to avoid scrutiny and accountability. Even before the pandemic, Orbán was slowly taking over Hungary by minimising civil liberties, controlling the media, filling the constitutional courts with his allies, and jeopardising the independence of the Judiciary.
Orbán has already passed over 100 decrees since April, with many being unrelated to the pandemic. For example, on May 26th, Orbán passed a decree forcing foreign investors to acquire a permit from the government if they want more than 10% of companies in important industries e.g. health, food production, finance. Whilst this doesn’t sound drastic, Orbán’s critics argue this is just another tactic for Orbán to secure crucial parts of the economy for his allies. Orbán maintains a firm grip on power by giving portions of the economy to his wealthy business friends; they then use that wealth to support and keep Orbán in power. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. Economist Randall Holcombe refers to this special relationship as “Political Capitalism” in which the economic elite (wealthy businessmen) and the political elite (Orbàn and the Fidesz Party) cooperate to maintain the status quo and their positions of power.
This tactic has been used throughout the pandemic. It was seen when Orbán’s ally Miklos Vaszily bought 50% of the advertisement sales of Hungary’s largest independent media outlet: Index.hu. Then, on the 25th of July, the editor and chief of Index.hu was fired, followed by 80 resignations from staff who refused to work under the new pro-government management. This move was seen as a devasting blow to freedom of speech, since Orbán and his allies have since taken control of many other media outlets.
The EU has also not held Orbán accountable. In 1993, the EU established a list of requirements for states to follow if they wanted to join the EU; it included protecting human rights, having an independent Judiciary and respecting the rule of law. If member states do not adhere to these requirements than the EU can strip a member of its voting rights and prevent it from gaining financial aid. However there are three main reasons as to why the EU has not adequately punished Hungary. Firstly, stripping a member of its voting rights requires a unanimous vote from all member states. The issue is that Poland would veto the EU’s attempts to strip Hungary of its voting rights, because Poland is breaking the rules too. Secondly, the EU does not have a proper mechanism to expel member states which break EU rules, which is why Hungary (and Poland) continue to do so. Finally, the coronavirus pandemic has meant that EU nations are no longer focusing on Hungary, but rather on the economic fallout in their own countries. The new EU Economic Recovery Fund fails to punish Hungary, as the EU wants to show the world that Europe is united in the fight against COVID-19. With the rise of EU-scepticism across Europe, the EU wants to avoid any disputes, which could undermine the solidarity of the bloc.
Orbán and his party have been breaking EU rules and eroding democratic values in Hungary for a very long time. The coronavirus pandemic has helped Orbán to speed up the process of assuming ultimate control. With Poland by its side, no procedure in place to expel member states, and the rise of euroscepticism, the EU has been left paralysed. Orbán’s control of domestic institutions in Hungary and over the EU has allowed him to continue to turn Hungary into a dictatorship.
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