In his analysis of the left-wing reception of former president László Sólyom’s recent criticism of government policies, a Marxist philosopher calls his fellow left-wingers intolerant, while a conservative columnist admits that the right-wing press is silent because it would find it difficult to challenge Mr Sólyom’s verdict. READ MORE
Commentators on the left and right trade accusations about hidden agendas and propagating half-truths concerning the charges of anti-Semitism, the heritage of Imre Nagy and the Strasbourg court ruling on wearing the red star in public. READ MORE
A leading conservative journalist calls for a peaceful assessment of 20th century Hungarian history, and blames the left for refusing to face the negative heritage of the Communist past. READ MORE
Opinions diverge sharply on the post-First World War peace treaty and what it means for contemporary Hungary. A left-wing commentator believes the government side is exploiting the anniversary in its rivalry with the far right, while a pro-government commentator complains that the European Union does not stand up for the rights of the Hungarian minority in neighbouring countries. A moderate conservative historian suggests that Trianon should be considered for what it is – history. READ MORE
Commentators discuss the government’s plan to introduce mandatory voter registration, and caution that pre-registration may not be a useful tool to keep angry, politically under-informed and possibly radical voters away from the ballot box. READ MORE
A conservative economist welcomes efforts by the government to increase the state’s role in overseeing markets. He warns however that the government should only get involved in the markets temporarily to restore normality, instead of becoming a permanent actor. READ MORE
According to centrist media experts the latest amendments to the Media Act might force the opposition radio station to re-apply for the status of public content provider and thus not be compelled to pay a frequency fee. A commentator close to the government warns that all attempts to stifle Klubrádió harm the government’s reputation. READ MORE
A centrist analyst fiercely opposes the Prime Minister’s idea of suspending public funding for political parties. A left wing commentator believes Fidesz has even broader control over public assets than the ruling party had under Communism. A sociologist shows that Hungary’s Communist ruler is more popular today than he even was during his last years in office. And a grass-roots Horthy-revival sparks furious emotions. READ MORE
A left-wing analyst suggests that by subsidising the middle classes, the Hungarian government is going against the grain of current trends in Western economic policies. A conservative philosopher, on the other hand, argues that society must acknowledge merit if it wants to encourage performance. READ MORE
A Népszabadság columnist writes that the Orbán government’s stability is an asset but the EU still has some cards to play if Orbán does not conform to IMF expectations. The editor-in-chief of Heti Válasz describes a piece of advice allegedly coming from the European Commission as disregard for the basic principles of democracy, yet he adds that important matters should be thoroughly negotiated backstage – even if the government’s two thirds majority would allow for unilateral decisions. READ MORE