An analysis of Donald Trump’s victory in Iowa

An independent analyst believes that if Trump returns to the White House, Hungary’s relations with the US could improve — but only temporarily READ MORE

PM Orbán’s speech at Tusnádfürdő

Commentators find PM Orbán’s speech focusing on illegal migration at Fidesz’s annual summer university more moderate and cautious than his addresses in previous years. READ MORE

PM Orbán on death penalty

Liberal commentators accuse Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of co-opting the rhetoric of the radical nationalist Jobbik party, by calling for the death penalty to be ‘kept on the agenda’. A pro-party government lawyer believes that the government cannot simply ignore the ‘majority view’ which he believes would support its reintroduction. READ MORE

Jobbik at the gates?

A liberal commentator believes that Fidesz is about to launch a major campaign against Jobbik. A pro-government columnist fears that Jobbik is a real threat to the country, while another liberal pundit contends that Jobbik is a joke rather than a credible alternative to the current centre-right government. READ MORE

Simicska accuses Orbán of informing on him in Communist era

Commentators are predominantly sceptical about the allegation that PM Orbán was recruited by the communist secret services during his military service in 1982. READ MORE

PM Orbán’s ’State of the Nation’ address

Discussing the Prime Minister’s annual speech to his followers, commentators wonder if his exhortation to work and fight harder will be sufficient to reinvigorate the increasingly sluggish Fidesz electorate, which, despite the defeat of a pro-government candidate in last week’s by-election, is still incomparably stronger than its competitors.

READ MORE

Orbán’s foreign policy doctrine in focus

Commenting on the government’s foreign affairs strategy, most left-wing and liberal commentators accuse PM Orbán of selling out to Moscow. Right-wing pundits, on the other hand, defend what they see as the government’s pragmatic and balanced foreign affairs vision. Some moderate analysts castigate mindless exaggerations and ideologically motivated approaches on both sides. READ MORE

Lessons of the Charlie Hebdo attack

Commentators across the political spectrum try to assess the long-term consequences of the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Among other issues, they dispute whether free speech can or should ever be constrained in order to protect religious sensibilities and avert fundamentalist violence. READ MORE

Government’s six month balance sheet

Left-wing analysts comment on the latest opinion polls, and speculate that the governing party’s decline cannot be stopped. Liberal and moderate centrist commentators believe that any suggestion that the government’s fall is inevitable is mere wishful thinking. Conservative columnists call for more caution and sensitivity in the practice of government. READ MORE

Mandatory drug test planned for children

Commentators across the political spectrum find a Fidesz proposal to introduce mandatory drug tests for children highly controversial and potentially counterproductive. READ MORE