Hungary convenes parliament to extend state of emergency

The Hungarian government has convened a special session of parliament for October 7 to discuss extending the state of emergency by another 180 days until May 2026, writes the daily newspaper Telex.

The state of emergency was originally supposed to end in November of this year. The government cites the ongoing war in Ukraine as the reason, but according to some opposition lawmakers, the cabinet simply missed the deadline for submitting the request and the special session is intended to prevent a legal vacuum.

The state of emergency has been in effect in Hungary without interruption since March 2020 and allows the government to issue decrees without parliamentary approval.

The upcoming elections could thus take place under the state of emergency, which, according to the daily newspaper, weakens democratic control. The government rejects the accusation that this is an arbitrary consolidation of power.

(mja)