Dr. Carter is going home tonight (and some other timely updates)

HUNGARY - In Brief 13 May 2026 by Istvan Racz

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Dr. Carter (see picture below) is a fictional character from the once world famous television series ER (Emergency Room), of course, arguably the favourite of that show among the Hungarian audience. What makes mentioning him timely today is that Hungary has also had its own ER series over the past six years, the Emergency Rule that provided Mr. Orbán with the extraordinary power to govern to a great extent through issuing decrees, rather than turning to the National Assembly on each and every tiny legal detail, like the modification of the government budget, etc. This series started with the emergency rule introduced on March 11, 2020 in view of the Covid pandemic, and with a few months break, it was maintained until end-May 2022, when it was replaced by a war emergency legal regime, in view of the events in Ukraine, just six days before the Covid rule's expiration. During this whole period, some 700 decrees were issued by the government cabinet (or essentially Mr. Orbán himself), which were approved en bloc by the first session of the newly elected parliament the other day, to maintain legal continuity, as all those decrees were set to lose effect otherwise as soon as the Emergency Rule has ended. And yes, ER is set to end tonight, as it expires, and the Tisza government does not have an appetite to extend it, with a two-thirds parliamentary vote, any longer. So, Hungary's dr. Carter may finally leave office, with peace and dignity, after six years of service. For sure, returning to the regular parliamentary mode of government is not a full guarantee for the return of democracy in itself, but it is supposed to be a crucially important step made in that direction.In ot...