The Hungarian Parliament voted to extend the state of emergency with an additional 180 days. The Hungarian Government declared a state of emergency by a government decree that entered into force on 25 May 2022.
The state of emergency has since been extended several times, most recently by a government decree published in the Hungarian Official Gazette on 17 April 2024 until 20 November 2024.
According to the Constitution of Hungary, a state of emergency may be declared for thirty days, but the Government may extend the state of emergency based on the authorisation of Parliament if the circumstances giving rise to the declaration of a state of emergency persist. The declaration of a state of emergency was necessary since a state of emergency is a special legal regime under the Constitution of Hungary, where the Government may issue a decree suspending the application of certain acts, derogate from certain provisions of acts and take other extraordinary measures, thus allowing a faster and more effective response to international events.
According to the explanatory memorandum to the act it is required to further extend the state of emergency since it is still necessary to ensure the possibility of developing effective, rapid national responses in order to deal with the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict and to manage the consequences of international, economic changes.
The act entered into force on 15 November 2024, on the day following its publication in the Hungarian Official Gazette, in which the Parliament authorises the Government to extend the state of emergency until 18 May 2025.
By Levente Csengery, Partner, KCG Partners Law Firm
