Hungary's emergency powers end after nearly four years of wartime governance. The state of emergency declared by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on May 24, 2022, citing the Ukraine conflict, officially expired at midnight on May 13, 2026. During this 1,449-day period, the government exercised extraordinary decree powers, bypassing parliamentary oversight on hundreds of occasions. These emergency measures enabled controversial decisions ranging from restricting local government finances to limiting teachers' strike rights. The extended emergency governance raised significant questions about democratic accountability and the balance of executive power during prolonged crises affecting economic and social policy decisions.
