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A right-wing take on left-wing dilemmas

Saturday, September 21st, 2013

A pro-government pundit thinks left-wing opinion leaders don’t understand how politics works when they urge competing left-wing leaders to agree on how to share power and candidates for next year’s elections. READ MORE

Hungary benefits from FED stimulus

Friday, September 20th, 2013

Népszabadság thinks the government may take a sigh of relief after the Federal Reserve Board decided not to cut back on its quantitative easing programme, but doubts if the ensuing favourable investors’ climate will last until next year’s elections. READ MORE

Vienna Burgtheater declines invitation to Budapest

Thursday, September 19th, 2013

Magyar Nemzet carries a bitter comment on an open letter by the Vienna theatre director who declined an invitation from the Budapest National Theatre, saying that he did not intend to risk the “good name” of his theatre. READ MORE

Utility tariff cuts – a magic campaign weapon

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

A popular analyst suggests that the campaign around utility tariff cuts may well guarantee PM Orbán’s victory in next year’s elections. READ MORE

Imre Kertész’s iconoclastic interview

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

A liberal columnist takes up the defence of Hungary’s only Nobel prize winning writer, who among other stark statements has said in an interview that he does not consider himself any more Jewish than Hungarian, and hates having been used by the “Holocaust industry” as an “Auschwitz-clown”. READ MORE

Speaker Kövér’s ‘rule by decree’ case

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Commenting on the Speaker of Parliament’s recent radio interview, left-wing columnists accuse Mr. Kövér of proposing the revival of a rule by decree system. Conservative pundits as well as a group of left- liberal constitutional lawyers say that Mr. Kövér had no undemocratic intentions, and agree that the current legislative practice is far too bureaucratic. READ MORE

MNB extends cheap loan programme

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Analysts across the political spectrum ponder the possible implications of the National Bank’s extended lending program, which aims to stimulate economic growth. READ MORE

Ruminations on sexist statement in Parliament

Saturday, September 14th, 2013

Commenting on a crude statement made by a Fidesz State Secretary, left-wing pundits accuse the right-wing politician of fomenting male chauvinism and sexism. A pro-government columnist also criticizes the vulgar tone used by MP Illés, but finds the left-wing outcry over the impolite words somewhat hypocritical and overblown, nonetheless. READ MORE

Inflation at 39 year low

Friday, September 13th, 2013

The leading left-wing daily contends that despite the record low overall inflation rate, Hungarian families have to spend more on basic goods. A pro-government columnist, on the other hand, believes the low inflation rate proves that the government is on the right path. READ MORE

Socialist turn down Gyurcsány and Liberals

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

Commenting on the breakdown of the negotiations among left-wing parties, commentators suggest that the absence of a broad left-wing coalition plays into the hands of Fidesz. READ MORE