If the EU cannot rein in Hungary's dictator Viktor Orban, it will rot from the inside

t’s official, the European Union has its first dictatorship. This is an existential threat and it could not have come at a worse time. Nonetheless, the EU must deal with this decisively. While the whole of Europe is distracted by the pandemic, Viktor Orban has forced through emergency powers that allow him to ‘rule by decree’. The new measures include the imposition of a state of emergency on Hungary with no time limits, the suspension of parliament, no elections while the legislation remains in place, individuals who publicise what the government views as ‘fake news’ face up to five years in prison and anyone violating quarantine faces up to eight years.