On the Discourse about the State of Emergency for Terrorism Threat

Abstract

The Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks have triggered a lively debate throughout Europe about the necessary and possible responses of the European Union and respective member states to counter the threat of terrorism. Part of this debate in Hungary has been focusing on the introduction of a new state of emergency for terrorism threat to the Basic Law. The author summarizes three determining questions – the effect of securitization practices, Hungary’s objective and subjective threat perception regarding terrorism, and the possible ways and means of counter-terrorism – that are to affect this discourse.