Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared a state of emergency for his country Tuesday due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The state of emergency will allow Orban, who has served four terms as prime minister, to rule by decree. He has previously issued the special legal order during the migrant crisis and again during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Reuters.
“The world is on the brink of an economic crisis” due to the “war and sanctions from Brussels,” Orban said in a Facebook video announcing the decree, CNN reported. He said Hungary has to stay out of the Russia-Ukraine war and “protect families’ financial security,” according to the outlet.
The decree “will make it possible for the government to react quickly,” Orban added, according to CNN.
Orban won re-election to serve a fourth consecutive term in April, calling it a “huge victory.” His nationalist-conservative party, Fidesz, won a majority of the seats in Parliament. (RELATED: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Wins Re-Election)
Over 650,000 Ukrainians have fled to Hungary after Russia invaded Feb. 24, according to the United Nations. The country is in fourth place for the number of Ukrainian refugees, behind Poland, Romania and Russia.
Hungary has refused to agree with the EU to ban Russian oil, with Lithuania’s foreign minister accusing the country of holding the entire agreement “hostage,” The Guardian reported. Orban has refused to agree to the sanctions due to the potential for higher energy prices.