Coronavirus: Emergency Measures In Hungary 'In Line With EU Treaties'
- 1 Apr 2020 10:33 AM
- Hungary Matters
The Hungarian government's emergency measures taken against the novel coronavirus epidemic are in compliance with the country's constitution and European Union treaties, a government official has said.
Zoltán Kovács, the state secretary responsible for international communication and relations, reacted on Twitter to a statement by the president of the European Commission.
In her statement, Ursula von der Leyen called for rapid and efficient action by the national governments to secure public health but added that those measures should not go against the EU’s fundamental principles and values. She also said that the measures should be justified and proportionate, and their effect must have an end date.
The Hungarian government is in “full agreement” with the EC president, Kovács said, adding that the Hungarian measures were “focussed exclusively on the fight against the coronavirus epidemic”. Hungary respects the values of the EU, such as the rule of law and the freedom of the media, the state secretary said.
Meanwhile, EC spokesman Eric Mamer said the commission would evaluate new clauses in the Hungarian penal code concerning the spreading of rumours, stressing that the freedoms of expression and the media must be respected even in hard times.
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