Commentators critical of the government round on Fidesz to accuse the governing party of sending men ‘who looked like bouncers’ to prevent a Socialist politician from depositing his bid for a referendum against the Sunday shopping ban. The two pro-government dailies also condemn the incident, but deny that Fidesz was behind it. READ MORE
Cabbies partially blocked a major downtown intersection on Monday in the Hungarian capital to protest against Uber – but ran into opposition from angry drivers and commentators. READ MORE
As doctors demand higher wages to end so called ‘gratitude payments’ and stop the emigration of health care personnel from Hungary, a centrist columnist thinks that ending the system of illegal payments in hospitals is close to impossible. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators are outraged by the government’s decision to order ministries to terminate their mobile internet subscriptions with Telekom Hungary after the mainly German owned IT and telecommunication company scrapped its sponsorship contract with a singer whose statements on women “conflicted with the company’s values.” READ MORE
Commenting on US Ambassador Colleen Bell’s concerns about the state of affairs in Hungary, pro-government columnists are in no doubt that the US wants to pressurize Hungary into submission. Left-wing pundits, on the other hand, criticize the Hungarian government’s response and expect further US-Hungarian diplomatic skirmishes. READ MORE
In a comment on the EU mini-summit on migration held in Brussels on Sunday, the leading online news site contends that the leaked road plan may indicate that EU member states have finally realized the importance of coordinating their policies. READ MORE
Since Hungary closed its border with Serbia last week, migrants are being bused by Serbia to the Croatian border and from there by Croatia to Slovenia and to Hungary. While the Hungarian authorities are building a border fence along the border with Croatia to stop the inflow, commentators discuss to what extent the attitude of the Hungarian government is morally and legally justified.
PM Orbán travelled to Brussels on Thursday to discuss migration issues with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. This will be followed by a Visegrad 4 summit in Prague. Analysts wonder if there is hope for an EU solution to the migration crisis. READ MORE
The right of sexual minorities are recognised on all sides, except right-wing extremists, but commentators disagree on whether the annual LGBT march through Budapest serves tolerance and understanding. READ MORE
In the first reactions to the Hungarian government’s decision to halt the return of asylum seekers under the Dublin Agreement, a liberal lawyer accuses Hungary of violating its international obligations. A conservative blogger, on the other hand, thinks that Schengen border countries must put up a tough fight in order to change what they regard as an unfair EU migration system. READ MORE