Kinzinger & Keating Respond to "Indefinite Power' Grab by Hungary's Prime Minister Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Statement

Today, Congressmen Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and William Keating (D-MA), Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment, issued the below joint statement on the passage of emergency legislation by the Hungarian Parliament that would provide Prime Minister Viktor Orban unchecked authority, suspend the parliament, and delay upcoming elections indefinitely.

"For years we have watched democracy in Hungary slowly slip away, and the recent implementation of these indefinite state of emergency measures further highlights many of our concerns. Between the erosion of an independent judiciary branch and recent attacks on civil society and journalism, Prime Minister Orban has depleted the freedoms once enjoyed by the people of Hungary.

"Free elections, freedom of speech and of the press, and judicial and legislative checks on executive power define the very democracies we swear to protect as part of our sacred alliances. Our strength as an alliance rests on these fundamental democratic freedoms and when we allow our closest NATO allies to drift from those core democratic principles, our own national security is put at stake. As a NATO ally and member of the European Union, Prime Minister Orban has shied away from his duty to protect Hungary's democratic values and strengthen their independent institutions.

"While the current threat posed by COVID-19 has led many nations to take drastic measures, this "indefinite power' grab by the Prime Minister of Hungary is unnecessary and unacceptable, and it's incompatible with the democratic principles and freedoms we swear to protect on behalf of all our citizens. We all have a role to play in defeating this global health crisis and we encourage Prime Minister Orban to take a more democratic and pragmatic approach moving forward.

"The United States Congress will be watching the implementation of these authoritarian measures closely and we urge the Government of Hungary to reaffirm its commitment to democratic values and demonstrate how they can uphold them in light of these troubling new developments. We sincerely hope that Prime Minister Orban will work with the Hungarian parliament, the United States, NATO, the European Union, and independent organizations to combat the coronavirus pandemic without undermining the democracy of Hungary. Without corrective action, we fear it will be incumbent upon the United States and our allies to begin serious discussions about how to best protect NATO's shared values."

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