In an interview with Die Welt on Sunday, Justice Minister Judit Varga said Hungary does what all countries do in Europe.
The minister qualified the accusation levelled by the European Union and the European People’s Party, namely that Hungary’s new law on defense against the novel coronavirus epidemic “has emptied” democracy as fake news, a manifestation of “the uncontrolled dominance of liberal views”.
The minister said that once the pandemic is over, Hungary as all countries will lift the state of emergency. The timing of this decision, however, will not be coordinated by others, it will be a matter of national competence, she said.
Minister Varga rejected European Commissioner Věra Jourová’s demand that the Hungarian government should relinquish its special powers as soon as possible. “The state of emergency will be lifted on the appropriate date; neither a day before, nor a day after,” she said.
Concerning Jourová’s view that the emergency laws passed in several countries pose a potential danger to democracy, the minister said that as long as these laws are in line with the constitution and the Constitutional Court is in place, democracy is not in danger in either Hungary or in any other European state.