Monthly Archives: April 2020

Coronavirus latest: Some European countries set to ease restrictions

Some countries in Europe are set to ease lockdown measures this week, while others, such as the UK, continue in lockdown, with no plan made public for the easing of restrictions.

Europe’s worst-affected countries, France, Spain and Italy, which have all seen more than 20,000 people die as a result of COVID-19, are registering falling numbers of sick and dead after weeks of rising numbers.

From today Germany will allow the reopening of smaller shops. With more than 135,000 recorded cases and about 4,000 deaths, the pandemic in Germany is “under control and manageable”, Health Minister Jens Spahn said.

France has tentative plans to reopen schools on May 11, but officials warned any deconfinement would be gradual. “We are not out of the health crisis” but “the situation is gradually improving, slowly but surely,” French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Sunday.

n Spain, children will be able to go outside for fresh air from 27 April. They have been strictly confined since 14 March.

In Norway, where the authorities believe they have “brought the virus under control”, nurseries will reopen on Monday and the ban on staying in second homes will be lifted. A second stage, from April 27, will see the partial reopening of secondary schools and universities.

The UK government, which has said it is too early to ease any restrictions, is scrambling to source PPE equipment for medical workers.

Meanwhile the world’s most heavily impacted country, the US, saw its death toll pass 40,000 on Sunday, with 1,997 people registered as dying from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the pandemic is far from being contained at the global level.

(20. 4. 2020 via euronews.com)

 

Coronavirus – EC Vice-President: Hungarian Measures in Line with EU Regulations

Hungary’s laws passed in connection with the novel coronavirus epidemic have not “so far” violated European Union regulations, European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová told Czech public television on Sunday.

Answering a question, Jourová said she had met Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga and discussed the Hungarian measures in detail with her. “I am not worried yet,” Jourová said.

The EC is reviewing whether member states’ regulations passed as part of the fight against the epidemic harm the rule of law, Jourová said. “We will monitor how [Hungary’s] recently accepted laws are implemented,” she added.

Alexander Vondra, an MEP of the opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) party, said the “attacks” against Hungary had been launched “without a knowledge of Hungarian decisions and laws”.

Jourová and Vondra agreed on the need to monitor the implementation of member states’ epidemic laws, and to ensure that those measures will be scrapped after the epidemic.

(19. 4. 2020 via hungarytoday.hu)

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Estonia joins Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund

Estonia has become the third country to join the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund, alongside Poland and Romania.

The Estonian government on Thursday confirmed its decision to join the fund, which is expected to help finance ambitious infrastructure projects in the energy, transport and digital sectors in Central and Eastern Europe, according to the vm.ee website.

Poland and Romania have previously contributed to the project, and several other countries are considering becoming members.

Estonia’s Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu has been quoted as saying that joining the fund is an important step for his country in “political cooperation with the United States and the states of Central and Eastern Europe.”

Reinsalu said the fund would provide a strong impetus for overcoming strategic shortcomings in infrastructure investment, particularly in areas such as energy security, digital networks and transport links.

Estonia says it has begun preparations for the fifth summit and third business forum of the Three Seas Initiative, which will be held in its capital Tallinn on October 19 and 20 after it was rescheduled last month due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Estonia’s Reinsalu said: “Organising the summit and business forum in Estonia is an excellent opportunity to enhance cooperation with the Three Seas countries.”

He added: “The COVID-19 pandemic and its paralysing influence on the functioning of societies, the availability of essential products, medical equipment and personal protective equipment and the economy in general has further increased the importance of strategic connections.”

The Polish-led Three Seas Initiative aims to boost infrastructure, energy and business ties among 12 countries between the Black, Baltic and Adriatic Seas.

The initiative brings together Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.

The initiative’s key partners are Germany, the European Union and the United States.

(17. 4. 2020 via thenews.pl)

Jean-Claude Juncker urges ‘plain language’ on Hungary’s state power grab

Hungary is ‘acting outside of any reasonable zone,’ says former Commission president.

The EU should have called “a spade a spade” in a more robust response to Hungary’s move to boost government powers, said former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who also took aim at insufficient north-south solidarity over the coronavirus crisis.

Speaking to POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook, Juncker criticized the EU’s lackluster response to the Hungarian parliament voting to allow the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to rule by decree without a set time limit.

“We have not been able to straighten out the East-West conflict, because the Hungarians act outside of any reasonable zone,” Juncker said. “I thought to myself that now that the new legislation has come into force in Hungary, governments and the [European] Commission will call a spade a spade,” but neither his successor as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nor EU governments explicitly called out Budapest when they expressed concerns about the impacts of coronavirus measures on the rule of law.

Naming Hungary “would have had no immediate effect, but it would have made the course of the front lines clearer,” Juncker said. “When it comes to the rule of law standard, it is not wishy-washy, but plain language that counts.”

“Now we have let the North-South conflict flare up again without any need” — Jean-Claude Juncker

Juncker’s Commission had several clashes with Budapest over rule of law issues. The Parliament triggered so-called Article 7 proceedings against the country in September 2018, expressing fears that Orbán’s government was going against core EU values.

And the former Commission president himself once welcomed Orbán as a “dictator” at an EU gathering in 2015, though he later suggested it was a private joke and that he regards the Hungarian PM as a “hero.”

Meanwhile, divisions have reignited between Northern and Southern European countries over the bloc’s response to the economic fallout from the pandemic.

“The way the Dutch finance minister expressed himself in the direction of Italy is again fueling the conflict between North and South,” Juncker said, referring Wopke Hoekstra last month reportedly calling on the EU to probe why some countries didn’t have the financial buffers to cope better with the economic shock. “Now we have let the North-South conflict flare up again without any need,” Juncker said, adding: “We’ve learnt nothing.”

Juncker declined to speculate on whether the size of the corona package agreed by EU finance ministers is adequate, saying he prefers to “wait until the dust settles.” But an agreement “on a relatively ambitious package after difficult attempts to come together,” he said, “can only be welcomed.” Yet another failure “would have been a setback for the European idea.”

Juncker said he now expects a “much higher” 2021-2027 EU budget, which he insisted is the right instrument to deal with the economic fallout. “It is now urgent that the European budget be increased … We need a budget that rises to the challenges of the future.”

Corona bonds — a joint debt instrument which all EU member countries would guarantee — “are not an answer to the current crisis” as it would “take months” to prepare to use them, Juncker said. But he added that he is not against the idea in principle. “I am just against pretending there is no other answer to the crisis than corona bonds. But one should hold on to the idea. It’s not a crazy idea. There is no question that the instrument will be needed” in a future crisis like the current one.

Juncker also praised the speed with which the EU reacted to the pandemic, and his successor’s role in marshalling the response.

“A great deal has been achieved in just a few weeks. Decisions were taken within a month,” Juncker said, referring to lockdown measures that were widely introduced across the EU in March. “That was a quick reaction … Criticizing von der Leyen for that is cheap. She’s doing a good job.”

(13. 4. 2020 via politico.eu)

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Bernie Sanders drops out of presidential race, saying he concluded his path to victory was ‘virtually impossible’

Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose call for a liberal agenda galvanized millions of followers, dropped out of the presidential race, giving former Vice President Joe Biden a clean path to the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Sanders’ exit comes after a string of losses to Biden in the primary election.

The intensifying coronavirus pandemic meant he could no longer hold the large rallies that came to define his grassroots movement, though he often pointed to the problems many Americans had getting tested and treated for the virus as evidence that the country needed to adopt his signature “Medicare for All” proposal.

In a speech Wednesday, Sanders congratulated Biden on being the Democratic nominee. He called Biden a “decent man” whom he plans to work with to “move our progressive ideas forward.”

“Then, together, standing united, we will go forward to defeat Donald Trump,” he said.

He thanked his supporters, who propelled him in two presidential campaigns.

“I want to express to each of you my deep gratitude for helping to create an unprecedented grassroots political campaign that has had a profound impact in changing our nation,” Sanders said. “Together, we have transformed the American consciousness as to what kind of nation we can become and taking this country a major step forward in the never-ending struggle for economic justice, social justice, racial justice and economic justice.”

Fiercely unapologetic, Sanders’ call for economic justice, nationwide health care and an end to the “billionaire class” was the loud refrain for two presidential campaigns that tried to pull the Democratic Party to the left.

Referring to his campaign’s policies, Sanders said Wednesday, “It was not long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe. Today, they are mainstream ideas, and many of them have already been implemented in cities across the country. That is what we have accomplished.”

But ultimately, it fell short. For the second consecutive election, the self-described Democratic socialist was the runner-up, finishing behind Hillary Clinton in 2016 and the former vice president this year.

“I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth,” Sanders said Wednesday. “And that is that we are some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible. … It’s been a very difficult and painful decision.”

Moments after Sanders’ announcement, Biden thanked the Vermont senator in a lengthy statement, noting Sanders’ “impact on this election and on elections to come is far from over.”

“Bernie has put his heart and soul into not only running for President, but for the causes and issues he has been dedicated to his whole life,” Biden said in the statement. “So I know how hard a decision this was for him to make – and how hard it is for the millions of his supporters – especially younger voters – who have been inspired and energized and brought into politics by the progressive agenda he has championed.”

Biden said he and his wife, Jill, thanked Sanders and his wife, Jane, for the difficult decision to suspend the campaign.

“You have put the interest of the nation – and the need to defeat Donald Trump – above all else. And for that, Jill and I are grateful,” Biden said. “But we also want you to know: I’ll be reaching out to you. You will be heard by me. As you say: Not me, Us.”

Sanders says he will remain on ballots to earn delegates
Sanders said Wednesday he’s going to stay on the ballot in the remaining primary states to earn delegates.

“While Vice President Biden will be the nominee, we must continue working to assemble as many delegates as possible at the Democratic convention, where we will be able to exert significant influence over the party platform and other functions,” Sanders said. “Then together, standing united, we will go forward to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history.”

Sanders entered the 2020 campaign with high name recognition, experience and an army of supporters – some pejoratively known as “Bernie Bros” – that collectively propelled him into front-runner status after the first three states.

His momentum fizzled after the South Carolina primary Feb. 29 when black voters backed Biden in large numbers, foreshadowing the struggles Sanders would have with a key Democratic constituency going forward into Super Tuesday three days later.

Sanders won the biggest Super Tuesday prize – California – but he lost 10 of the other states to Biden that night, including Texas, a state in which he had invested a lot of time and energy. After that, he never regained his footing while support from rivals such as Michael Bloomberg and Amy Klobuchar coalesced around Biden.

He also had a health scare.

In early October, he felt chest discomfort during a campaign event in Las Vegas. His campaign announced that he had a blockage in one artery, and two stents were inserted. Several days later, Sanders’ treating physicians Arturo Marchand and Arun Gururaj released a statement via the campaign saying Sanders had a heart attack.

Brian Monahan, the attending physician at the U.S. Capitol, declared the senator in “good health” in a letter released Dec. 30, 2019, by the Sanders campaign. Monahan is Sanders’ primary doctor.

A New York City native who never shed his thick Brooklyn accent, Sanders, 78, built a national following despite representing the nation’s second least populous state. His supporters were overwhelmingly under 35, providing the energy to his dynamic campaign but not always showing up at the polls when he needed them most.

His political career nearly never happened. In 1981 at age 39, the carpenter and documentary filmmaker was elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, by only 10 votes out of nearly 10,000 cast.

Sanders fading: Joe Biden racks up more big wins, making it almost impossible for Bernie Sanders to catch up

He was elected nearly a decade later as Vermont’s sole member of the U.S House. After eight terms, he won a seat to the U.S. Senate in 2006, using his perch on Capitol Hill to craft a platform on national issues that became the basis of his presidential runs.

Sanders, whose state has no party registration, is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history.

Sanders was a relative unknown and a long-shot candidate (he was 50 points behind Clinton in some national polls) when he launched his first presidential campaign in the spring of 2015.

Before his first presidential run in 2016, Sanders’ outrage over the “billionaire class” might have been captured only on C-SPAN and left-leaning news shows. His presidential run changed that.

Sanders won 22 states and 45% of the pledged delegates, and he consistently led Clinton overwhelmingly among 18- to 29-year-olds. His campaign drew a record 8.2 million individual contributions from about 2.5 million donors, raising about $228 million largely through fundraising emails to supporters.

His call for a “political revolution” quickly gained momentum on social media, igniting a “feel the Bern” fever that drew nearly 1.5 million people to his rallies and other events across the country in a wave of populism similar to the one that helped propel Republican Donald Trump to the White House.

Though he lost, Sanders’ influence was evident. Clinton proposed expanding access to health care and eliminating college tuition for working families. Many of his priorities were included in what Sanders described as the most progressive platform in the party’s history.

Former opponents praise Sanders’ campaign and values
Sanders’ onetime Democratic presidential rivals praised his campaign and struck a united tone as they look to help Biden defeat Trump.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who as presidential candidate competed against Sanders for support from the left, thanked Sanders for “fighting so relentlessly for America’s working families during this campaign.”

“Your fight for progressive ideas moved the conversation and charted a path for candidates and activists that will change the course of our country and party,” Warren tweeted.

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called Sanders “an extraordinary leader” whose campaign “drove the conversation” around issues for working families. “We must continue that spirit and ethos as we work to unite the party to defeat Trump,” she said.

Sen. Klobuchar, D-Minn., said Sanders’ decision to end his campaign “is a decision to unite our party and shows he is a true public servant.”

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said he loved getting to know Sanders on the campaign trail.

“He and his supporters are a tremendous force, and I’m looking forward to teaming up to end the Trump presidency and open the door to a better American era,” Buttigieg tweeted.

Sanders said Wednesday his presidential bid was never “just a campaign.”

“We are a grassroots multiracial, multi-generational movement, which has always believed that real change never comes from the top on down but always from the bottom,” he said.

(8. 4. 2020 via eu.usatoday.com)

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Pope Francis begins Holy Week with a closed-door Palm Sunday Mass

Pope Francis has delivered Palm Sunday Mass behind the closed doors of St Peter’s Basilica to adhere to strict lockdown measures in place.

Making a start to Holy Week – the week preceding Easter – the pope would usually deliver Mass outdoors to tens of thousands of worshippers carrying olive tree branches or palm fronds – but this year was empty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He instead delivered the closed-door ceremony to aides, a few invited prelates, nuns and laypeople, who observed social distancing.

Some were also spotted wearing protective face masks.

Palm Sunday Mass will therefore be the first in a week of closed-door Holy Week events, of which some require some tweaks in tradition.

For instance, the candlelit Good Friday Way of the Cross procession will be carried out at St Peter’s Square instead of its location outside Rome’s Colosseum.

There have been seven recorded cases of COVID-19 inside The Vatican since the outbreak began.

The pope tested negative for the virus last month.

(5. 4. 2020 via euronews.com)

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Queen Elizabeth II asks public to remain united amid coronavirus pandemic

Queen Elizabeth II compared the unfolding coronavirus pandemic to World War II in an address to the British public on Sunday.

The Queen has rarely addressed the public outside of her Christmas broadcast and said the address reminded her of the “very first broadcast” she made with her sister in 1940 speaking to children evacuated from their homes.

“Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones. But now, as then, we know, deep down, that it is the right thing to do,” the British monarch said.

The Queen, whose son Prince Charles recently recovered from the new disease, thanked the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and care workers treating people on the frontline.

She recognised the challenges facing the British public and the “time of disruption” that has brought grief and financial difficulties to many.

“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any,” the Queen said.

“That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country.”

The UK government ordered British citizens to stay at home on March 23 to help prevent the further spread of the virus which can cause serious illness in some people.

More than 47,000 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 5,000 people have died.

“While we have faced challenges before, this one is different. This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour,” the Queen said.

The coronavirus pandemic has so far infected over 1.2 million people and killed more than 68,000 worldwide.

See link below:

(5. 4. 2020 via euronews.com)

 

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson ‘still in charge’ despite hospital admission

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “still very much in charge of the government” despite spending the night in hospital with coronavirus, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

The PM was taken to a London hospital on Sunday evening with “persistent symptoms” – including a temperature – for a series of routine tests.

It is said to be a “precautionary step” taken on the advice of his doctor.

Mr Johnson, 55, tested positive for coronavirus 10 days ago.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will chair Monday morning’s coronavirus meeting in his place, Mr Jenrick said.

Last month, the prime minister’s spokesman said if Mr Johnson was unwell and unable to work, Mr Raab, as the first secretary of state, would stand in.

Mr Jenrick told BBC Breakfast: “We hope that as a result of these tests [the prime minister] will be able to come back to Downing Street as soon as possible.

“He’s been working extremely hard leading the government and being constantly updated. That’s going to continue.”

“I’m sure this is very frustrating for him, for somebody like Boris who wants to be hands [on] running the government from the front, but nonetheless he’s still very much in charge of the government,” he added.

US President Donald Trump is among those who has sent his wishes to Mr Johnson.

“All Americans are praying for him. He’s a great friend of mine, a great gentleman and a great leader,” Mr Trump said, adding that he was sure the prime minister would be fine because he is “a strong person”.

And Labour leader Keir Starmer said he hoped the prime minister had a “speedy recovery”.

Health Minister Nadine Dorries, who herself tested positive for coronavirus last month, said many of those with the virus would be “felled” by fatigue and a high temperature and use isolation to sleep and recover.

“Boris has risked his health and worked every day on our behalf to lead the battle against this vile virus,” she said in a tweet.

Although Downing Street insist the PM is still in charge, if the medics insist he needs to rest and recuperate then he may well have to take a step back for a period of time.

In the UK we no longer have a deputy prime minister – the last one was Nick Clegg under David Cameron.

Technically, Dominic Raab – as first secretary of state – would be expected to step up.

His position as foreign secretary, however, does not put him at the centre of the fight against coronavirus.

It would seem likely therefore that the two figures who would be expected to take a key role would be Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Both men have been frequent representatives of the government at the daily news conferences.

Fortunately, however, many of the key decisions – namely how long the lockdown should continue and what the exit strategy should be – still appear some way off.

At the moment the focus is on “flattening the curve” and reducing the level of infections and admissions to hospital.

The day-to-day decisions are therefore likely to depend much more on the advice of the scientists and officials.

The really big decisions are some way off – when it is hoped the prime minister will have recovered.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP and broadcaster, told the BBC that Mr Johnson would be likely to have his chest X-rayed and his lungs scanned, particularly if he had been struggling for breath.

She said he is also likely to have an electrocardiogram to check his heart’s function, as well as tests on his oxygen levels, white blood cell count, and liver and kidney function before he is released from hospital.

Mr Johnson has worked from home since it was announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus on 27 March.

He was last seen in public applauding the NHS and other key workers from his flat in Downing Street on Thursday evening, and chaired a coronavirus meeting remotely on Friday morning.

Also on Friday, the prime minister posted a Twitter video in which said he was still displaying minor symptoms.

“I still have a temperature. So in accordance with government advice I must continue my self isolation until that symptom itself goes,” he said.

“But we’re working clearly the whole time on our programme to beat the virus.”

On Saturday, his pregnant partner Carrie Symonds tweeted that she had spent a week in bed with the main symptoms.

She said she had not been tested for the virus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock had also tested positive for the virus and returned from self-isolation on Thursday to host the daily Downing Street news conference.

The government’s chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, has also had to self-isolate after showing symptoms.

The news of Mr Johnson’s admission to hospital came shortly after the Queen delivered a rallying message to the nation, saying the UK “will succeed” in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

In a rare speech, the monarch thanked people for following government rules to stay at home and praised those “coming together to help others”.

In other developments:

Scotland’s chief medical officer has resigned after making two trips to her second home – despite government guidance urging people to avoid unnecessary travel
The National Domestic Abuse helpline has seen a 25% increase in calls and online requests for help since the lockdown, the charity Refuge says
High street pharmacists are “needlessly being put at risk” due to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society says
Train drivers’ union Aslef is also calling for London Underground drivers to be provided with masks and gloves to protect them from contracting Covid-19
Young workers and the worst paid are the most likely to be affected by the closure of businesses because of coronavirus, according to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies
On Sunday the Department of Health said 621 more people had died in hospital in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total death toll to 4,934.

As of 09:00 BST on Sunday, 47,806 people had tested positive for coronavirus, the department said.

(6. 4. 2020 via bbc.com/news)

10 Downing Street handout photo of Prime Minister Boris Johnson clapping outside 11 Downing Street in London to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Issue date: Thursday April 2, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Pippa Fowles/Crown Copyright/10 Downing Street/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

10 Downing Street handout photo of Prime Minister Boris Johnson clapping outside 11 Downing Street in London to salute local heroes during Thursday’s nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Issue date: Thursday April 2, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Pippa Fowles/Crown Copyright/10 Downing Street/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Detailed Analysis of the “Coronavirus Law” by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation

On March 11, 2020, the Hungarian government constitutionally declared a state-of-emergency due to the coronavirus crisis, and on March 30, 2020, 137 of the 199 members of the Hungarian National Assembly approved the “Law against the Corona Virus,” which includes extensive powers granted to the government. For the period of the state of emergency, the government can now implement measures introduced to curb the pandemic with decrees, without the consent of Parliament. Both in Hungary and abroad, the parliamentary decision has been violently criticized, which the government dismissed vehemently as inappropriate and misleading. (Country report from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation‘s Hungary office from March 31, 2020).

“Parliament votes for comprehensive special powers of the government” – Explanation of the state of emergency situation and the so-called “Coronavirus law”

Articles 53 and 54 of the Hungarian Constitution from 2011 provide for the detection of a state of emergency situation. According to the constitution, it is the exclusive right of the government to declare a state of emergency situation and to declare its end as well. There is no time limit (no “sunset clause”). This legal regulation existed in the same way in the previous constitution as well, since 1990. Therefore, the Hungarian Parliament cannot vote on the emergency situation or its duration. According to the new “Coronavirus Law,” the Hungarian National Assembly can decide at any time to revoke the authorization, including the individual decrees.

According to the provisions of the Hungarian Constitution, the extraordinary measures or decrees taken by the government in the state of emergency automatically end after 15 days. An extension is only possible if the government is authorized to do so by the Hungarian National Assembly. A relevant law could have been passed on March 24, 2020 if the Hungarian National Assembly, with a four-fifths majority, had approved a deviation from the house rules and thus enable a quick approval of the law in the vote on March 23rd. (It could have been passed with a two-thirds majority, had the ruling parties – aware of the deadline – proposed it in time. – Editor’s note) However, the opposition largely voted against this accelerated procedure, 137 members voted in favor, 52 against, and 10 were absent. The group leader of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) said that the opposition would have approved the law if the measures had been limited in time. In addition to the MPs from Fidesz and KDNP, only seceded, extreme right-wing members of Jobbik under the name “Mi Hazánk Mozgalom” (Our Home Movement) and the MP of the National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary agreed to the fast-track procedure. Since the required four-fifths majority was not met, the law could only be passed a week later, on March 30th. 137 MPs voted for it, 53 opposed, with no abstentions. The voting behavior was similar to last Monday.

The new law gives the government extensive powers to take measures to curb the coronavirus. For example, the government can adopt special measures to ensure effective security “of the life, health, person, property, and legal security of the citizens as well as the stability of the economy” (Section 2, Paragraph 1 of the Act). Furthermore, it can use decrees to “suspend the application of individual laws, deviate from legal provisions, or take other extraordinary measures” (section 2 (1) of the law, with the same content as section 53 (2) of the constitution). In addition, no parliamentary elections, no referendums, and no early elections can take place during the period of the state of emergency. However, the next regular elections for the Hungarian National Assembly will only take place in April or May 2022. The measures taken by the government to combat the coronavirus must also be necessary and proportionate, as Section 2 (2) of the law states. The government attached a detailed justification for each rule to the draft law.

The law also includes two amendments to the Criminal Code: punishment for leaving the officially ordered home quarantine, and spreading false or misleading information that is likely to cause confusion, strife, or panic among the population. (“A person who, during the period of a special legal order and in front of a large audience, states or disseminates any untrue fact or any misrepresented true fact that is capable of hindering or preventing the efficiency of protection is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for one to five years” – Editor’s note). The government is legally obliged to regularly inform Parliament on the measures taken, according to Section 4 of the law. In addition, §5 of the law explicitly clarifies that the constitutional court can continue to work, and if necessary they can do so digitally.

The government argues that although there is no specific time limit in the law, this is not a legal but a factual question. Additionally, if the epidemic is widespread, there is a risk that Parliament may fail to meet, or fail to meet the quorum, leaving the government with no way of implementing security measures. Finally, meetings of the Hungarian National Assembly are of course still possible without restrictions and Parliament can at any time declare the authorization to be withdrawn, which is expressly provided for in section 3 (2) of the Act.

Numerous critics see the legislative initiative as a way to instrumentalize the crisis in order to be able to govern with unrestricted power even afterwards. Many also reject the argument that the Hungarian Parliament cannot maintain its ability to work and that it is undemocratic to endow the government with such power. The fact that the government can rely on a constitutional majority in parliament anyway makes the necessity of this project very doubtful for some observers. The criticism of the Hungarian government and especially the Hungarian Prime Minister is therefore particularly massive from abroad. Conversely, some political analysts argue that the government under Prime Minister Orbán in particular has a large parliamentary majority, which it hardly wants to suspend on its own initiative. The coronavirus law is therefore a concrete necessity resulting from the current state-of-emergency situation and not a political opportunity. The Hungarian Minister of Justice wrote in a comprehensive statement, among other things: “While all countries are fighting the epidemic with all the means at their disposal, Hungary is criticized for wanting to regulate it in the form of a special right (extraordinary legal order) and asks Parliament for a mandate to ensure that the measures are valid until – and only so long – as the emergency situation stands.”

President János Áder signed the law on the evening of the vote, so that it could enter into force on March 31, 2020 at midnight. The President said that the content of the law had been examined under two conditions, namely whether it gave the government unlimited power in terms of time and content. Áder said both should be denied since the time limit corresponds to the end of the epidemic crisis, while the content limitation to the fact that only measures in connection with the coronavirus should be taken.

Some aspects of the state-of-emergency

The state-of-emergency situation in connection with the provisions of the Civil Protection Act makes it legally possible (Editor’s note: obligatory 46.§ (4) ) for the mayors to exercise the powers of the city council in the municipalities. This has become particularly important in cities in which the head of the city is working with an opposition majority in the city council. Some mayors took advantage of the situation to overcome the months of blocked powers in their cities that had existed since the local elections in October 2019. This happened, for example, in Komló, Szekszárd, and Nagykanizsa, where the respective mayors (all Fidesz candidates) took over the authority of the city council in order to be able to make far-reaching decisions. The Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony, one of the hopefuls of the national opposition, also rules in the capital by decree without a city council. Furthermore, in Mohács, the socialist Ferenc Csorbai (MSZP) can remain in office indefinitely because the self-dissolution by the Fidesz majority city council in April makes subsequent new elections unavailable to currently take place. (As it was previously explained: during the state-of-emergency, the mayors are obliged to exercise the powers of the city council in the municipalities. It is, however, a different question of what they use their excessive powers for – Editor’s note).

Surveys

According to a survey by the government-affiliated Nézőpont Institute, 90% of the population supported the maintenance of the state-of-emergency situation. According to 58% of those questioned, the emergency situation should remain in force until the end of the epidemic, 39% only want to allow it until the end of June, after which Parliament should decide again. 72% also approved the changes to the criminal code with regard to spreading “fake news.” 62% of opposition supporters also support the restrictions. According to a survey by the Századvég Foundation, which is also close to the government, 87% of all those questioned support the demand to stop party-political differences and to fight the virus together, and only 11% thought that the party-political conflicts were indispensable even at such a time. The government-critical Závecz Research Institute determined that 69% of those surveyed agreed with curfew restrictions and only 29% against it. They also found that 51% would work from home, 45% as before.

Final note

With the new legal situation, the Hungarian government, according to its own statements, ensures the necessary capacity to act even for the very difficult times to be expected when the coronavirus crisis reaches its peak in the country. The price for this is massive criticism from both home and abroad, and a revival of the debate about political culture in Hungary. The focus is primarily on the demand for a limitation of the emergency ordinances, but according to the government, this is a sham argument, given the balance of power in the Hungarian Parliament. It will only become clear after a while whether the limited time of the state-of-emergency situation that the opposition required would have been necessary. Only then can the effects of government decisions be subjected to a more precise assessment. The same applies to the handling of the Hungarian judiciary, such as with the stricter provisions to prevent the spread of false information (or how the authorities and judges interpret the much-debated “misrepresented true fact” definition – Editor’s note).

The course of the crisis in Hungary, how to deal with it, and how quickly the government is able to return to “normal” conditions will also change the political culture in Hungary. Many of the “people of 10 million freedom- fighters” seem to be at least willing to accept a temporary restriction of freedom for the benefit of the community and one’s own health.

Translation by Fanni Kaszás/Hungary Today

Edited by Miklós Halász-Szabó/Hungary Today

(Country report of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s office in Hungary from March 31, 2020. Submitted by Frank Spengler, Head of KAS office in Hungary and Bence Bauer LL.M, project coordinator. Via kas.de/de/web/ungarn

(2. 4. 2020 via hungarytoday.hu)

Pandemic means you have to change your habits, PM tells Poles

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has told his countrymen that the coronavirus pandemic means they have to change their habits.

“The COVID-19 pandemic requires all of us to change our living habits. In this situation, it is important not only to follow sanitary procedures, but also to remind each other about changed rules of conduct, such as in terms of hygiene,” Morawiecki wrote on Sunday on Facebook.

He added: “This is simply about taking care of our loved ones.”

Along with his message Morawiecki posted a short video that is part of an official health campaign.

The clip shows an adult son visiting his father and explaining what to do to stay safe amid the pandemic.

Health and government officials have urged Poles to stay home and practice social distancing, while public gatherings of more than two people have been banned.

The government last Tuesday announced tough new restrictions on daily life, banning children under 18 from leaving home unless supervised by an adult, closing parks and beaches, and ordering most hotels to shut.

A total of 4,102 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease in Poland, with 94 deaths from the coronavirus so far, officials said on Sunday.

(6. 4. 2020 via thenewmorawiecki-Egyedi-960x541s.pl)