this is bbc news, the headlines donald trump has given more details about his intention to sign an executive order, temprorarily, blocking immigration into the us. the president says the restrictions — which will apply for 60 days to green card applicants — are to protect workers, from overseas competition, after the lock—down. the number of people in the uk who have died due to coronavirus has risen sharply — after falling for the previous few days. the latest figures show that a further 823 people died from the virus, in hospitals — taking the total number of deaths to over 17 thousand. the un's world food programme has issued a stark warning about the millions in regions of conflict, who could starve because of the coronavirus outbreak. now on bbc news it's

time for hardtalk. mac welcome to hardtalk. they are taking emergency measures restricting liberties to safeguard public health and no european nation has gone further than hungary. my guest today is the chief international spokesman, he is covid—19 ushered in europe's first defective dictatorship. —— de facto. kovacs, welcome to hardtalk. would

you explain to me, the reasoning behind the extraordinary powers that your government has taken in the wa ke your government has taken in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. your government has taken in the wake of the coronavirus crisisi believe the reasons are as simple as in the country around the globe. we face an unknown enemy in the way of the virus. we have seen viruses coming and going and this one seems to be special and around the globe for some extraordinary measures to be able to handle that situation and address the challenges according to day by day or week by week. nobody knows when the pandemic is going to end and that is why we have asked for parliament, extraordinary measures that will entitle the

government to and this is for only fighting the virus. they can be swift and decisive and have a decision made as soon as required. many governments have taken emergency measures. yours are different in several key instances. let us begin with perhaps the most important of all. yours are not time—limited. they are absolutely indefinite and that has caused a huge amount of consternation around europe and particularly in brussels. why indefinite? very fortunately, it is definite. indefinite wouldn't be good. in legal terms, the very fact that we have received the ability to use extraordinary measures from parliament is a limitation and the very national limitations of the timing and determination of the time is the end of the pandemic. forgive

me, the pandemic emergency. as determined by the who, we believe that the international organisation are going to tell you when the pandemic is over. is that written into the emergency legislation? what is written is that parliament can rework the extraordinary measures —— revoke them any time. but it is very clear that the government has been vested with the power of an emergency that is not defined in the legislation is being invested which outstrip powers, executive powers anywhere else in the democratic world. even some of your own critics at home are calling this dictatorship. but that is simply not true. even within europe, i can tell you for different, for other countries, for different countries ofan countries, for different countries of an open end termination of the power in this constitution and legal

framework. we believe hungary has chosen the government has received rights and possibilities within the confines of its own constitution and rule of law according to the circumstances and framework with which the country works. you keep, mr kovacs. let us pick this a little bit. you say but you are doing out of the ordinary. plainly, many highly respected voices in senior positions in politics in europe do not agree. let me start with the council of europe which is there to safeguard constitutional rights, democratic values, human rights across europe and they wrote this with victor in a letter. quote, and indefinite uncontrolled state of emergency cannot guarantee that the

principles of democracy will be observed nor restricted in these fundamental human rights are in fact proportionate to the threat that they are supposed to counter. and you'll be able find endless quotations and instances of critical attitudes towards hungary and the prime ministerfor that attitudes towards hungary and the prime minister for that reason. it's been happening for the past ten yea rs. been happening for the past ten years. political lynching for some curious reason, is the immediate reaction when hungary chooses its own way to handle its problems, and. you cannot accuse the head of political lynching. but when it comes to lynching, you look at how it happens. it happens through the western european press, it happens through the left liberal parties of the european party and those who did not really like is for the past ten yea rs. let not really like is for the past ten years. let me tell you that as of yesterday, the one of the two who

are responsible for the rule of law and constitutional transparency and all the democratic values within the european union, explicitly state that nothing happened in hungary that nothing happened in hungary that goes against the treaty goes against european values. with respect, you were courting one commissioner and i can quote you many officials in the european commission including its chief who are saying they are extremely concerned about what they see happening in your country and will have the eu or institutional level investigate very carefully whether you have flouted the values of the european union. and we are ready for that. we are open for that as well as requiring that monitoring should be on from european countries, as i mentioned to you, for other countries have decided to provide for the government open end, open end rights. but the point is that you may say that we are doing

nothing different but the overwhelming feeling is that you are doing something different.“ overwhelming feeling is that you are doing something different. if i may interrupt you for just a second. doing something different. if i may interrupt you forjust a second. it has been maybe two dozen times that i have heard this that there's nothing particular in your legal system, your measures are in line with european treaties, they are not in our concern. we do not care about political opinion. we are talking about the most politically efficient with the end of the crisis. that is what hungary is trying to do if you look at our numbers, we have managed to avoid those problems that the uk, italy, spain and other countries we re italy, spain and other countries were not able to avoid because they we re were not able to avoid because they were not able to avoid because they were not up and they were not ready to make decisive action when it was necessary. may be the most important thing you said to me there was we do not care any more. let us look at some the specific decrees that the government is now already passing or

is contemplating passing as a result of the new emergency powers, which in effect, let's be honest, put democracy in the deep freeze until the government executive chooses to change the situation. let us start with looking for example, at the fa ct with looking for example, at the fact that all political parties under the emergency law are not required to donate 50% of their current account cash to the hungarian emergency response fund. the opposition parties in your country say that it will fundamentally cripple their ability to remain viable voices of dissent in opposition. how does that fit with your hungarian democracy? opposition parties have asked for monetary financial contributions for political parties and this is an opportunity for them to participate. and i have to tell you that you have pointed out one issue in a question of putting it in a way that i am afraid is really available to use

and the kind of political lynching that i've already mentioned. the very hands, the very suggestions which are embedded in your question, suggest that something abnormal is going on in hungary but that is simply not true. we know that the costs of measures ahead of us are going to be announced and we have seen order countries in europe and around the globe with financial monetary measures and new programmes, hungary has developed one of the biggest fiscal plan and its history to go against the effects of the pandemic. and the case is that everybody has to participate. everyone is going to ta ke participate. everyone is going to take part. at a time of economic crisis, it is actually fair for the executive to raise the coffers of opposition parties. ok. in economic terms, people willjudge that on its merits. but i struggle to see how

some of the other actions taken by the government by decree could possibly be connected to any way to the coronavirus crisis and if one looks at the detail, again, of the way temperature system is being run in this emergency, it is quite plain that you now using powers to hide, listen to my question. you are hiding controversial actions behind this fig leaf. but if one looks at the major economic issues facing your country. chinese investment in a massive railway project, the rail line, you have no insured during this emergency that there will be no public scrutiny of the economic deals being done on that project. hang on. it is simply not true. do not listen to those voices coming from hungary that are trying to tell you that we have over extended. the law accepted by a two thirds majority of parliament is explicit.

we can make the decrease in due these measures only within the confines. the topics you have just mentioned and are trying to accuse us mentioned and are trying to accuse us ofan mentioned and are trying to accuse us of an over extending, are running through parliament under the normal procedure. it has nothing to do with extraordinary measures, these are not the green, this is the bill that is been submitted through parliament. we are not trying to open a debate on something which is simply not true. mr kovacs, you are engaged in alice in wonderland politics, you have a government that can do what it wants to by decree, you keep parliament sitting there as a fig leaf you say no, were still parliamentary democracy and that all theseissues parliamentary democracy and that all these issues have to go to the apartment. you know that in hungary today, your citizens simply do not buy that stuff you love the very sentences that you're pronouncing here they are telling us that you have a preconception about what we are doing without knowing the facts on the ground. all governments use

extraordinary methods in fighting this virus. in the circumstances that are best for their countries. we are not overextending it anything like that. take a look at sweden, france and all the other countries. it was needed in order to be swift, accurate and decisive and the needed extra in a powers because do not try to suggest that the normal element of life and just because this is happening in hungary or in any other country can of red democracy and remembers the european union and if there's a debate with any of the agencies, the european union, i have to have the data to the commission and through the government the announcement that i just told you and through the government the announcement that ijust told you is reassuring, we are ready for being tested and all other countries are being tested. detailing this further

with the members of the other european union members. —— relationship with the other european members. using this to enact legislation and take measures which johnson be connected to the pandemic at all, let us just go back to one specific, which is migration. last month, hungry and definitely suspended access to its border transit areas for asylum—seekers. europe migration mr said quote, we observe a clear link between coronavirus and illegal migrants. can you explain that to me? all borders in europe are closed for free movement as we speak. there is only limited movement, especially available for goods which is essential in the european union as a

unified economic area. but otherwise, even your freedom to travel and my freedom to travel freely to slovakia or austria is limited. but you are not processing any asylum claims at all. know we are not, we suspended it for the duration of the helsinki committee, human rights committee respected around the world, described her actions taken as a result that you claimed of the pandemic as another expansion of the hungarian government's centre for. apart from the lyrics that are being sold here by the housing committee, committee, which we all know of overstatement and very obviously antigovernment, let me tell you one thing. for us, there is only one thing that comes first and that is the interest and the health of the hungarian people. it will be irresponsible to keep your borders open for asylum—seekers among circumstances where you cannot

guarantee where they come from what their health status is. it is normal that it their health status is. it is normal thatitis their health status is. it is normal that it is happening in all european countries not just towards asylum—seekers but also as european citizen. one more thought on the expanded nature of hungary's emergency response to coronavirus, i don't think anyone in europe would fail to understand why hungary has closed down its theatres. but one might question by hungary and the government has taken on the power to change the nature of boards of management theatres as a result of the coronavirus crisis. is it because theatres were the few remaining cultural places where dissent and criticism of your government is possible? your question is carrying a very deeply political undertone. it has nothing to do with the pandemic measures. we have been reorganising. it is much more to do with your effort to crack

down on all forms of cultural dissent. hang on. you must be kidding. you cannot honestly believe that there is an interpretation. i believe that is an ill concept actually, to try and put everything on the threat of an antigovernment sta nce on the threat of an antigovernment stance in hungary. you have to be more careful with accepting the lines that are being echoed by our political operant seer in hungry or abroad. it is interesting that you talk about having to be careful. doesn't hungry have to be careful even before the pandemic in these emergency powers, the eu parliament at the beginning of this year had said, quote, the situation in hungary has deteriorated since the triggering of the article seven investigation as to whether or not your country was in violation of basic eu values. the parliament's feeling in january, basic eu values. the parliament's feeling injanuary, long before this began was that the situation drug

government's actions are deteriorating. the feeling of the european parliament liberal, leftist politicians is not the thing that have an imprint on how we do in hungary. . you can throw out these smoke screens is much as you like, it was a clear parliamentary majority that decided that hungary needed to be investigated. it was not just leftist. of needed to be investigated. it was notjust leftist. of the european parliament has no mandate on that. look at how they have broken their own rules in the declaration and if we are engaged in a discussion with the european union, we believe it is a commission that should be addressed and should be talking to. the committee is in the treaty and we have always been ready and open to continue discussions with them and normal and proper discussions, not questions that are coming from your mouth which is having a

pre—concept of what is happening in hungary according to political...m is not my mouth that counts, it is the european member states. do not make a generalisation that is not true. the western european liberal green and socialist parties. we have seen that happening for the past ten yea rs, seen that happening for the past ten years, their political game as i have told you that political lynching is going against is government and they do not like that we have an immensely big political support behind us that is giving us a decisive majority in hungary. you are running the risk, you said there are running the risk, you said there area are running the risk, you said there are a great economic consequences to the pandemic and i think your government has gotten a package that equals tens of billions of euros to try to prop up the hungarian economy. but in the longer run, if you are to fall foul of an article

seven decision to, for example, cut structural funding seven decision to, for example, cut structuralfunding in seven decision to, for example, cut structural funding in the future from brussels to hungary on top of this economic crisis that you are bound to face along with everybody else in europe, you have a very profound problem. very fortunately, that cannot happen. the treaty is specific about this, if you wanted to change the algorithm with the rules, you have to change the treaty. i do not forget that in the future, the budget for the european union cannot be accepted. and on the pa rt union cannot be accepted. and on the part of the political blackmail and campaign against the country for the past six or eight years by now increasingly, the many investing in europe, leftist, liberal green politicians, want to make new conditionality is that are not included in the treaty. and if they talk about the rule of law, how honest is it possible for them to go for new measures that would violate the treaty and would violate the rule that makes the acceptance of

any kind of budget as i suggested, unanimous? it cannot only be done with that and based on the rule of law, we stick to the original standards in the european union. we are almost out of time as him to look at the big picture before he finished. i was interested in this interview when we were talking about what is coming from the european union from the council of europe, he used words like lynching, like blackmail. it is quite clear that your view of what you see coming from the eu institutions, it is also quite clear that during this crisis but you have expanded ties with china, the essential very significant amounts of emergency material assistance and we have talked about the chinese investment in the rail line from budapest to belgrade part of the big initiative that the chinese are launching. we have also talked about your government showing your support for vladimir putin, even offering some documents for east ukraine and those

living under effective russian control. is this part of a profound shift in hungary that you want to appraise the authoritarians and in essence, you're going to say we do not care about brussels. we're going to stay in the union because it's economically advantageous, for not going to listen to all of this rubbish that they talk about values. thank you for using these words because it would be group from my mouth to use them. but the summary —— rude. the summary of the accusations that we have seen for the past ten years. if you look at the past ten years. if you look at the exact numbers and facts behind which you are suggesting here, our ties with russia or china have nothing to do with exemplary. it is pragmatic, it is volume in nature and it doesn't even approach the nature and volume that you're seeing in german russia, german china relationships. do not use double

standards here in hungary is trying to establish good relationships with eve ryo ne to establish good relationships with everyone around here in central europe and the european union and around the globe stop and if you point out to china, let me just tell you, who else has sent materials to hungary that is required to fight the virus? we have not received anything from brussels, we have nothing from london and we haven't seen anything from western europe. everyone is trying to go for it and most of the materials can only come from china today. so that is why we have chosen china, like many in basically everybody else. just to finish, we have talked a lot about the relationship between brussels andi the relationship between brussels and i think you would agree that it is not good right now. do you think there's a prospect of it getting better as long is your emergency measures are in place? well, that would be a logical suggestion from the perspective that you suggested that this interview and that is that we are the black sheep of europe.

that is simply not true. if you look at the operation with the european institutions, you will find that 95 and 98% of the cases of abnormal function of the european union, we are absolutely coming and going together with the majority by common sense and with all the measures actually that are good for the country. indeed, we do have debates at some time, pretty big debate actually about some conceptual things and we are entitled to have our own concept. our own approach to conceptual ideology school issues and we do not accept that —— ideological. and we did the moral high ground. we have seen this happening for ten years. none of it came true. and it cannot be sustained. in any debate the we have had with hungary. take a proper look

at the facts, take a proper look at the circumstance and we are trying to make the best and most efficient measures against the virus. kovacs, thank you very much for being on hardtalk. tuesday was another sunny but when the day in most parts of the country. there was some cloud across cornwall, the channel islands gives a couple millimetres of rain and many along the south coast of wales and temperatures reached 21 celsius. we had a lovely sunset across parts ofan we had a lovely sunset across parts of an been helped by a bit of high

cloud that is coming in from continental europe. and a lot of wet weather to come in the mediterranean, but our weather is dominated by an area of high pressure over scandinavia, not as many isobars pressure over scandinavia, not as many isoba rs but pressure over scandinavia, not as many isobars but the winds would not be quite as strong. but with a bit ofa be quite as strong. but with a bit of a breeze, these are the temperatures the restraint to start off with on wednesday morning and again we would like to see some frost around here. and there may be some missed and low cloud affecting the southern mountains onto the pen nines and that will not last long but also gets blown away with lots of sunshine on wednesday a little bit hazy at times with southern parts of the uk but the winds will not be quite as strong and it may be a decree or to warm her with a touch cooler along those north sea coast but as you had further west, this temperatures 21 or 21 degrees. again, some missed and some low cloud to clear away early in the morning, sensitive areas and again, lots of sunshine around that higher cloud drifting away for the north by

the stage. the winds will be much later on wednesday everywhere. it will feel warmer as well and the temperatures are probably peak at 25 degrees. some are in oxfordshire or hampshire, that should be the peak of the temperatures on thursday. mind you, fred is not far behind in if you mist and fog patches in the morning —— friday. let the sunshine in this temperatures will be making 22 or 23 degrees across southern parts of england and wales. a bit cooler across northern scotland and a northerly breeze here. the weather started to change a bit over the weekend with pressure much lower, especially across scandinavia but also because the uk as well, pressure falling away with very weak weather from coming into pressure falling away with very weak weatherfrom coming into northern parts of the uk. that may bring a few showers across scotland and may mainly prior over the weekend. cloud coming over the uk, temperatures during the subway a little bit with highs of 19 or 20.

this is bbc news — my name's mike embley — with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. there's been oppostion to president trump's temporary temporary immigration ban. he insists it's to protect americans from the current economic crisis. by by pausing immigration we will help unemployed americans first in line forjobs as america reopens. an economy in crisis — people in parts of new york form long queues forfood as the big apple reels from the pandemic. the uk government remains under pressure for failing to supply enough personal protective equipment to hospitals and care homes.