Commentators, including a fervent supporter of the government, are fiercely critical of the decision taken by the Minister for Technology to demote the director of the National Meteorological Service and her deputy because the storm they predicted for the night of August 20 didn’t materialise and the traditional St Stephen’s day firework display was postponed unnecessarily. READ MORE
Opposition-leaning analysts believe that the Prime Minister did a grave disservice to his country by taking sides with former president Donald Trump and his supporters in his address to the CPAC meeting. Pro-government commentators, on the other hand, take the event as proof that Prime Minister Orbán has become an important international actor. READ MORE
The six opposition-leaning weeklies condemn practically in unison the speech delivered by the Prime Minister last Saturday. One pro-government weekly simply summarises his words, while another praises his central message. READ MORE
Commentators disagree sharply on what should be done to bring about peace in Ukraine, as well as over the rights and wrongs of the painful sanctions on Russia. READ MORE
The weeklies contemplate the prospects of the opposition, after the thrashing opposition candidates suffered in last Sunday’s local by-elections across the country. Editors agree that thorough changes would be necessary for the opposition to become a match for Fidesz. READ MORE
Commentators try to make sense of the changes the war is triggering in Hungary’s international standing, in attitudes towards Russian culture as well as in Hungary’s national economy. READ MORE
After the swearing-in of the new Cabinet ministers last week, the weeklies try to make sense of the new composition of Prime Minister Orbán’s government. Two left-wing weeklies lament the sad state of the opposition. READ MORE
Opposition-leaning weeklies accuse the government of conniving with Moscow, by rejecting the proposed ban on importing Russian crude oil without significant compensation from the European Union. Pro-government commentators, on the other hand, argue that Hungary’s position is dictated by plain common sense. READ MORE
Pro-government commentators find the EU proposal to eliminate Russian oil unrealistic and even counterproductive. Left-wing and liberal pundits also acknowledge the economic cost of an oil embargo, but fear that abandoning or diluting the plan would weaken the EU and benefit Russia. READ MORE
Commentators on both sides of the political spectrum suggest that the weaknesses which sealed the opposition’s fate during the elections have further deepened over the past weeks. READ MORE