“It’s a precautionary measure,” [gun buyer Peter] Rostas, 33, said as he queued outside a small Budapest shop selling non-military grade weapons that require no licence. “I’d rather be laughing later than find myself in a conflict with nothing but a broomstick.” Rostas fears violence could arise from shortages of essential goods, something the Hungarian government has insisted will not happen. But the stocky auto trader is sceptical.

“If people brawl over toilet paper now, what will they do later? Once shops run out of stock, people will take what they need. Police can hardly deal with every petty theft,” he said.