Hungary ends its covid emergency—and declares one over Ukraine

VIKTOR ORBAN, Hungary’s prime minister, enjoys almost complete control of his country’s political system. In elections on April 3rd his ruling coalition held on to its two-thirds share of the seats in parliament, a super-majority that allows it to change the constitution at will. His Fidesz party and its allies and cronies dominate the judiciary, and the country’s media are mostly controlled by friendly oligarchs. He hardly seems to need more power. Yet on May 24th he declared a national state of emergency, allowing him to rule by decree. In a video on his Facebook page, Mr Orban warned of inflation and economic upheaval, blaming both the war in neighbouring Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union. (No mention was made of Russia’s guilt in launching the war; the Hungarian prime minister is, by a long chalk, the most Russia-friendly leader in the EU.) As a result, Mr Orban said, his government “needs room for manoeuvre and the ability to take immediate action”.