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Archive for the ‘Index’ Category

Police raid on the Tax Authority whistleblower

Monday, December 23rd, 2013

An unaffiliated commentator, writing in Index, says the raid on András Horváth’s apartment during which police seized documents and his laptop computer, reminds him of the bad old days. Mandiner counters with a commentary from an unnamed blogger who finds the ‘love affair’ of the liberal media with a less-then-convincing Horváth ridiculous. READ MORE

Tax Agency defector reports widespread corruption

Saturday, November 23rd, 2013

Commentators suggest that the main parties seem embarrassed by accusations aired by a former leading Tax Authority official, who claims that a group of large enterprises are practically exempt from check-ups and enjoy the protection of powerful people. READ MORE

Roma vote: new video raises questions

Monday, October 21st, 2013

After a video surfaced showing Roma men exchanging money for votes in an apartment, centrist commentators question the credibility of the footage while left-liberal columnists lament the fact that the Hungarian Roma sell their votes because they see no other opportunity in politics. READ MORE

New homeless law criticised

Monday, October 7th, 2013

Following the passing by Parliament of a new regulation allowing local councils to ban sleeping rough in certain streets and areas, a liberal commentator accuses the government of criminalizing homelessness. A centrist columnist finds the new rules unenforceable. READ MORE

Opposition stages anti-Orbán performance

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

A conservative columnist accuses the left of radicalism, after Together 2014 leader Gordon Bajnai urged PM Orbán to step down and disappear from public life. Centrist pundits find Mr Bajnai’s performance pathetic, while the leading left-wing daily regrets the lack of a meaningful dialogue between the right and the left. READ MORE

MNB extends cheap loan programme

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Analysts across the political spectrum ponder the possible implications of the National Bank’s extended lending program, which aims to stimulate economic growth. READ MORE

Opposition negotiations: is there a place for Gyurcsány?

Monday, September 9th, 2013

A liberal commentator argues that the Socialists, after coming to an agreement with Gordon Bajnai, are much less eager to grant Gyurcsány the positions he has asked for, while a conservative columnist points out that even if opposition forces come to an agreement regarding their candidate for PM, they still have no political programme for the voters. An independent centrist analyst says that despite naive hopes to the contrary, new faces are unlikely to emerge on the Hungarian political scene in the near future and the political elite is here to stay. READ MORE

Left-wing alliance talks run into the sand

Monday, August 26th, 2013

Commentators and analysts ponder whether a left-wing election alliance is still possible after negotiations between the MSZP and Together 2014 stalled and a bitter dispute erupted between the party leaders. READ MORE

Catch-up school for Roma: a segregation case?

Saturday, April 27th, 2013

Pundits debate whether a special school for disadvantaged Roma children should be closed down. A liberal commentator believes that Roma families protesting against desegregation entrench their own social exclusion. Conservatives, on the other hand, contend that special attention given to poor Roma children fosters social inclusion. READ MORE

Anti-Semitic motorbike action to be banned

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

A leftist daily welcomes the Prime Minister’s decision to have an anti-Semitic demonstration planned on Holocaust Remembrance Day banned.. Other centrist and left-liberal columnists, on the other hand, call for freedom of assembly for all citizens, including those who oppose freedom itself. READ MORE