Hungary is now a Dictatorship - Printable Version +- Drunkard's Walk Forums (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums) +-- Forum: General (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Politics and Other Fun (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=17) +--- Thread: Hungary is now a Dictatorship (/showthread.php?tid=13780)

Hungary is now a Dictatorship - Labster - 04-01-2020 Everyone's favorite half of Austria-Hungary has passed a sweeping new law allowing President Viktor Orbán to rule the nation by decree, as a response to the new coronavirus crisis.  Bill highlights include: Indefinite duration of rule by decree Returning to normal rules requires 2/3 vote, plus assent of the President Elections may not take place until normal rules reestablished Also includes jail terms of up to 5 years for journalists "spreading misinformation" Political demonstrations also criminalized President may suspend enforcement of any law So if you've been paying attention to Hungary lately, this shouldn't be all that surprising.  This is, after all, the country that criminalized the act of a lawyer representing an immigrant in court.  Most of the people who couldn't tolerate the authoritarian rule have already left to other countries in the EU. It does bring to mind the ancient custom of dictatorship in ancient Rome, but this was always for a fixed term, or at least with the continued consent of the Senate.  And power was given for a specific cause; other authority remained with the Senate, comitia, and magistrates.  This seems to go far beyond that, to the modern concept of an authoritarian dictatorship. So now a member state of the EU and NATO is a fully realized dictatorship.  Discuss. RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - Matrix Dragon - 04-01-2020 Everyone saw it coming, but it's still depressing and horrifying. RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - classicdrogn - 04-01-2020 The antipresident might be enough of a numpty to be surprized by it, but he probably also thinks it's a positive step to allow for decisive, effective leadership and wishes the deep state and its liberal shill media would let him do the same. RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - Star Ranger4 - 04-01-2020 Well, I can't say I'm surprised that at least one person succeeded at this kind of power grab. I'm surprised there has not been more attempts at this sort of thing reported. RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - Black Aeronaut - 04-01-2020 What I'm curious about is what the rest of the EU is going to do about it. I would have thought that they'd have conditions on being member-states that prohibit this sort of malarkey. You know. Checks and balances. Kinda like the same ones that the screaming orange thinks aren't fair. RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - nocarename - 04-01-2020 It looks like the tool of choice with in the EU is called Article 7. It has some suspension of rights of the country within the EU, but no mechanism to--as an example--kick them out. Countries have to leave on their own. The arguments are, of course, about if what has already been triggered against Hungary for their earlier acts was actually a legal vote. So that's fun. RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - Black Aeronaut - 04-01-2020 Lemme take a wild guess. Someone is screaming about conspiracies and left-wing agendas, aren't they? RE: Hungary is now a Dictatorship - nocarename - 04-01-2020 Vote counting apparently. Debate comes down to if 2/3s should include abstaining votes or not apparently. It was quite close either way.