Democracy in Lockdown

On March 23, 1933, an act was adopted in nazi Germany, in response to the "crisis" of the Reichstag building fire, to enable Hitler to issue decrees independently of the Reichstag (parliament) and the presidency. Article 48 of the constitution of the Weimar Republic made this act possible. Eighty-seven years later, on March 23, 2020, the Hungarian parliament debated a piece of legislation so similarly sweeping that Hungarians now informally call it the "Enabling Act." Seizing as a pretext the threat to public health caused by the spread of COVID-19, government members tabled a draft act on protecting against the coronavirus in accord with articles 48–54 of the Hungarian constitution. The act enables the government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to issue decrees independently of the parliament.