States of Emergency in the Visegrad Group Countries

Journal Article: States of Emergency in the Visegrad Group Countries

Journal: Polish Political Science Yearbook, a leading peer-reviewed academic journal published since 1971, focusing on political science, international relations, and public policy, with a focus on Poland and Central Europe.

Date of Publication: March 2026

Author: Anna Czyż, University of Silesia in Katowice

How to Cite: Czyż, Anna. (2026). States of Emergency in the Visegrad Group Countries. Polish Political Science Yearbook. Volume 55 (2026). 115-129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy202607.

Abstract: The article aims to analyze the meaning and place of states of emergency as a special legal regime in the legislation of the Visegrad Group countries. The main research question is about the role of states of emergency in the political system of the Visegrad Group countries, the practice of their application in the face of special threats, and the consequences of states of emergency for citizens and state authorities. Are states of emergency an effective tool for dealing with special threats or an instrument that the government uses to strengthen its power? The main thesis is that political practice has revealed the lack of a coherent model of the Visegrad Group countries’ strategy for overcoming the emergency and using the instrument of struggle in the form of states of emergency. In the case of Hungary, it can be seen that the state of emergency has become an instrument used by the government to strengthen its power. The methods used are the comparative method to compare the practice of application and the regulations in force in the Visegrad Group countries regarding the category of states of emergency.

The article can be found here, and a downloadable PDF is available here, and also here.

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