Bitter voices with six weeks to go until the election

A pro-government columnist likens the opposition to Nazis and Communists. A left-wing columnist accuses the government of introducing dictatorship and ruling by fear.

Magyar Idők’s Bálint Botond suspects that the opposition will introduce anti-democratic measures if elected to power in April. The pro-government columnist recalls that several opposition politicians pledged that they would put Prime Minister Orbán and other Fidesz luminaries in prison, rewrite the constitution and immediately replace core public officials. Botond likens such plans to the policies of the Nazi and Communist totalitarian regimes. He adds that the opposition is probably being financed from abroad. Botond contends that in order to avoid civil war and secure ‘national survival’, Fidesz needs to win the April election. If the opposition wins, thousands of Muslim migrants may immediately appear, and traditional gender roles will be eradicated in kindergartens so that young Hungarians will be trained as ‘sex slaves for perverts’, Botond cautions.

In Népszava, Péter Németh thinks that Hungary is a modern authoritarian dictatorship ruled by fear. The left-wing commentator believes that the Hungarian public has been forced into submission, and thus most citizens do not dare to criticize the government. Although the government does not resort to violence, it intimidates its critics – which is as effective as open terror, Németh concludes.

Writing in the same daily, László Lengyel labels the government an ‘uncivilized, barbarian group of invaders’ who threaten not only democracy, but want to strip generations of Hungarians of their rights and property. The veteran political analyst accuses the government of large scale corruption as well as ignoring Hungarians in need. László surmises that less and less Hungarians consider it possible ever to defeat Fidesz.

Tags: 2018