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Hungary:'¯The First Dictatorship in the EU?

Jamie Dettmer

   LONDON - The establishment of one-man rule in the heart of Europe has
   enraged civil libertarians and Hungary's opposition leaders, who accuse
   Viktor Orbán'¯of manipulating the coronavirus pandemic to establish
   what's effectively an elective dictatorship.'¯

   Pressure is mounting on the European Union to'¯take action'¯against
   Hungary for'¯passing'¯sweeping emergency measures that will allow
   populist leader Orbán'¯to rule by decree indefinitely.'¯

   Orbán insists the measure is only temporary. And his foreign minister,
   Péter'¯Szijjártó, told CNN that it was "unfair" to say the
   rule-by-decree measure amounts to a threat to the country's democracy.
   Although there's no deadline on'¯Orbán's'¯enhanced authority, he said,
   the parliament can remove his new powers when the virus subsides.

   "There are many fake news and lies spread about Hungary based on this
   new law," Szijjártó said.'¯'¯

   Orbán's'¯foes doubt his good faith. They say his emergency measure
   fits into a disturbing pattern from Ankara to Beijing and Caracas to
   Moscow, with authoritarian-minded leaders using the pandemic to
   consolidate or expand their power.

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