A pro-government journalist calls the Romanian response to Hungary’s innocent symbolic gesture aggressive and unreasonable. A left-wing daily on the other hand accuses the government of insensitivity to the delicate problems of beyond-border Hungarian minorities in Romania. READ MORE
A centre-right journalist describes László L. Simon as a moderate, unjustly reviled by liberals, who lost his battle against the far more conservative chairmann of the Hungarian Art Academy. A left-liberal commentator writes that the removal of László Simon is another sign of culture wars raging within the governing party, in which the loyalty of office holders is prized above their expertise. READ MORE
Although the next election is scheduled for the spring of 2014, most observers believe the campaign is already underway. PM Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP alliance leads the polls, but analysts do not rule out an opposition victory. READ MORE
Two days after four prominent members left the LMP to join an opposition alliance, their decision still catches the headlines. Columnists disagree, however, on whether the LMP story will have an impact on future political developments. READ MORE
A centre-right commentator says the Socialist Party leader has already won the race for the leadership of a united opposition. A left-wing analyst claims that opposition parties and Together-2014 are running out of time while they try to maximize their individual political gains. READ MORE
Heti Válasz publishes details of an alleged conspiracy between the secret services and a prominent underworld figure under the former Socialist government. READ MORE
Commenting on the latest employment statistics, a conservative economist points out that despite the good number of new jobs created, Hungary’s economic output has continued to decline. READ MORE
Pro-government columnists suggest that the government has backed down elegantly, disproving the charges of arrogance and authoritarianism often levelled against it, while according to centrist and left-leaning analysts, the government tested the water of public feeling and realized it had too much to lose on the registration issue. READ MORE
A centrist analyst suggests that Socialist Party leader Attila Mesterházy is playing his hand more wisely against his rival, Gordon Bajnai than most analyst realize. READ MORE
A conservative columnist again cautions the government against acting without consulting the wider public. He believes that cooperation and negotiation would make public policy more efficient and the governing party more popular.