Hungary’s war-related state of emergency, in place for four years under former PM Viktor Orbán, officially ends on Thursday, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on social media. "With this, we are also saying goodbye to the decree-based governance introduced six years ago. We are returning to normalcy, he added.
"With this, we are also bidding farewell to six years of governance by decree. We are returning to normalcy," the new Prime Minister added.
Viktor Orbán first declared the state of emergency on May 24, 2022 over the war between Russia and Ukraine. Since then, the Fidesz majority of in the National Assembly has authorized the government on several occasions — most recently in the fall of 2025 — to extend the state of emergency by 180 days, until May 13, 2026.
After the Tisza Party's election victory on April 12, Péter Magyar initially asked the outgoing government for a final extension to May 31 to allow time for legal adjustments. That did not happen. Instead, the new parliament passed a new law on May 9, converting emergency decrees into permanent legislation, which took effect as the state of emergency lapsed.
Over the past four years, more than 170 government decrees were issued under the state of emergency. The new law, which entered into force on May 14, formalizes these measures.
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