On 3rd November 2020, the Hungarian Government declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic. On 10th November 2020, the Hungarian parliament passed a law authorising the government to use its emergency powers for 90 days.

A new Liberties report finds that authoritarian governments in the EU upped their attacks against critical journalists and citizens' groups using COVID-19 as cover. But governments in traditionally stronger democracies have also done damage.

The weekly number of new reported cases of COVID-19 in Greece steadily increased between mid-January and mid-February 2021.

On 23rd December 2020, the Czech Republic extended its state of emergency until 22nd January 2021.

Cheap tests might be just as safe and more inclusive than an 'immune certificate'. See our policy brief on the Digital Green Pass.

Authoritarians in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia abused the pandemic to continue eroding democratic standards, but traditionally strong democracies also disappoint.

On 6th December 2020, legislative elections were held in Romania. The centre-left Social Democratic Party (PSD) won with 30 percent of the votes, followed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), centre-right, which obtained 25 percent.

The Belgian League of Human Rights, a Liberties member, is challenging a ministerial order that allows the large-scale collection and processing of the health data of workers, breaching their fundamental rights.

Liberties has been awarded a grant that enables examination of the threats posed by the contact tracing apps and their efficacy, allowing governments to respond to future public health challenges in a more transparent and privacy-respecting manner.

Belgian government adopted new decree in secrecy giving social security services access to sensitive health data of citizens. The Belgian League of Human Rights filed an appeal.