Worthy Christian News > World News > EU ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Hungary’s Coronavirus Measures

EU ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Hungary’s Coronavirus Measures

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary

(Worthy News) – Thirteen European Union nations say they fear that emergency measures to contain the new coronavirus pandemic could threaten “democracy and fundamental rights.” Their statement came after EU-member Hungary introduced coronavirus legislation that allows the increasingly authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to rule by decree without parliamentary approval.

The bill also foresees jail terms of up to five years for those convicted of spreading “false information” about the pandemic. The opposition says it will lead to additional pressure on journalists as it could be used to censor or self-censor criticism of the government’s response. Separately, those “interfering” with efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus face as much as eight years imprisonment.

Hungary’s ‘Coronavirus Act’ also extends the state-of-emergency indefinitely, despite calls by the opposition for time-limits. Referring to Hungary, the 13 EU nations said they were “deeply concerned about the risk of violations of the principles of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights arising from the adoption of certain emergency measures.” The president of the EU’s executive European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, raised similar concerns.

But Hungary’s right-wing government defended its coronavirus policies saying traditional solutions “have been proven to be inadequate.” Europe has been hit hardest by the new coronavirus pandemic, with more than 30,000 related deaths, according to official estimates. Orbán’s state secretary for international communications questioned the EU’s criticism towards Hungary. The official, Zoltán Kovács, called it a “witch hunt and coordinated smear campaign” against the Hungarian people.

The statement came from the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. This isn’t the first time Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán faces criticism from the EU. The 27-nation bloc has also questioned growing government influence over media, the judiciary, and even churches.