A conservative columnist turned critic of the right-wing government thinks the majority of Hungarians are not very sensitive to the infringement of their democratic rights. They experience politics, he writes, as a form of ’tribal hatred’, and concludes that the demise of the present government is unlikely to come from mass movements. READ MORE
Commentators wonder if after their surprising success late last year, students protesting new austerity measures will be strong enough to keep the government at bay during the spring. 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
An influential right wing pundit claims the demonstration is a joint MSZP-Jobbik attack on the government, while independent bloggers accuse the official parliamentary guard of complicity in setting up a counter-demonstration banner in front of Parliament. A libertarian commentator finds it rather sad that marching people still expect the government to provide them with “work and bread”, instead of asking for a truly free market and the rule of law. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators believe those who have left LMP to join a left-wing alliance will have a future, while the remaining majority is doomed, at least morally. A right-wing columnist hopes LMP can survive and offer an option to centrist voters. 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
Left-wing and liberal commentators ponder the chances of Together 2014 after its failure to unite the opposition parties. Will it eventually split? And does Gordon Bajnai still stand any chance of becoming Orbán’s challenger at the next election? READ MORE
A pro-government columnist welcomes the government’s plans to tax Hungarian deposits abroad. Left-wing and liberal commentators believe that the proposed tax is just a populist rhetorical stunt, rather than an effective measure to close tax evasion loopholes. 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 pro-government daily writes that it was a question of principle for the LMP to reject Gordon Bajnai’s invitation to join his Together-2014 electoral alliance, even though it might lead to the demise of the party. A centrist-liberal analyst says LMP made the right decision, as they may attract centre-right voters for whom Together-2014 is tainted, or form the seed of a new centre if a future Together-2014 based government were to fail. READ MORE