Coronavirus: Rule of law under attack in southeast Europe (DW)

[icymist]

...Several countries in central and southeastern Europe, however, appear to be taking advantage of the crisis to undermine the rule of law, with Hungary leading the way. On March 20, Viktor Orban's right-wing nationalist government presented a draft law that would give the executive branch dictatorial powers for an unlimited period of time. Known as the "law to protect against the coronavirus," it's expected to be approved by next week.

...The COVID-19 outbreak has also served as a pretext for dubious restrictions in other countries across the region. In Slovakia, the new center-right government plans to pass a law allowing state institutions to access data from telecommunications operators. Prime Minister Igor Matovic argued on Tuesday that mobile phone tracking would ensure that people stay isolated while in quarantine.

Four of the Council of Europe's 47 member states — Armenia, Latvia, Moldova and Romania — have announced a so-called derogation from the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. The move allows these countries to suspend certain civil rights during the coronavirus state of emergency, though critics have said the measures are excessive.

On Sunday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev partially vetoed a controversial law on emergency measures that would introduce prison sentences for spreading false information about infectious diseases, similar to those in Hungary. Another controversial regulation was intended to give authorization to the army to implement emergency measures, including identity checks usually carried out by the police. Surprisingly, some members of governing coalition accepted Radev's veto, but it remains to be seen whether the law will simply be reformulated. Parliament is expected to vote in the coming days.

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-rule-of-law-under-attack-in-southeast-europe/a-52905150

[I_UndergroundPanther]

1. The republicans tried to undermine our

Constitutional rights already.

[defacto7]

2. Almost sounds like a reorganization of the Soviet block.

[moondust]

3. Remember the "Shock Doctrine"?

Now comes the pandemic shock doctrine, another example of wannabe autocrats exploiting a crisis.

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