Ukraine crisis in focus
Tuesday, May 6th, 2014Political commentators fear the return of 20th century power struggles and the Cold War, as Ukraine drifts towards the abyss. READ MORE
Author Archive
Fears and hopes for the next four years
Monday, April 14th, 2014Commentators wonder whether or not the next Orbán government will strike a more conciliatory tone, and seek compromises in the economy and in symbolic battles at home and on the European scene. READ MORE
Culture war resumes over Nazi occupation monument
Saturday, April 12th, 2014Left-wing commentators accuse the government of courting anti-Semitic voters and PM Orbán of reneging on his earlier promises, as the building of the controversial Second World War memorial in Budapest resumes. A conservative pundit suspects “external forces” of trying to blame the persecution of Hungarian Jews on ordinary Hungarians rather than on the Nazi invaders. READ MORE
Bitter reactions to lost hopes of the Left
Friday, April 11th, 2014Left-liberal intellectuals blame the “servant mentality” of the public for the failure of the left-wing alliance parties. They suggest that Hungarians prefer the individual pursuit of self-interest to collective action against those who exploit them. A pro-government commentator, on the other hand, believes that left-wing intellectuals despise ordinary Hungarians. READ MORE
The lessons of the elections for the left
Thursday, April 10th, 2014A left-wing columnist suggests that the Left should focus on the plight of ordinary Hungarians living in poverty, rather than on left-wing elites whose concerns are distant from the problems of those living below the subsistence level. A centrist and a conservative commentator point out that it will be very hard for the Left to shift its focus and revamp its image. READ MORE
Ruminations on electoral rules
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014A left-wing columnist accuses the government indirectly of electoral fraud for devising a new electoral law tailor-made to favour Fidesz. The leading left-wing daily, however, also warns against blaming the defeat of the opposition on the new electoral system. A centrist analyst points out that although the new set of rules was somewhat more favourable to Fidesz than the previous ones, with the actual numbers of votes cast for its candidates, the incumbent government would have won under any democratic electoral system. READ MORE
Fidesz wins, may retain two-thirds majority
Tuesday, April 8th, 2014Commentators across the political spectrum agree that the left has been shattered and will need to completely reinvent itself after another huge defeat. Conservative columnists maintain that the overwhelming support legitimizes all the reforms and policies introduced by the Orbán government in the past four years. READ MORE
Positive feedback from the IMF
Monday, March 24th, 2014A conservative columnist interprets the latest IMF report on Hungary as recognition of the success of the efforts made by the Hungarian government to overcome the crisis and restart economic growth. READ MORE
Parliament to rewrite FX loan contracts
Monday, March 24th, 2014In their commentaries on the Constitutional Court’s verdict on forex loans, analysts from across the political spectrum agree that it is the government’s responsibility to help indebted families. It is, however, unclear how loans denominated in foreign currencies could be converted into Forint credits without severe economic consequences. READ MORE
Far-right irredentism harms Szekler autonomy
Saturday, March 22nd, 2014A conservative columnist suggests that radical right-wing irredentist Hungarians who want to restore Greater Hungary are undermining pro-autonomy movements in Transylvania. READ MORE