While Hungary has had a fairly bad press abroad for political reasons over the past years, Budapest has gradually gained a positive international image as a friendly and welcoming city. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators hope the agreement will put an end to destructive rivalry within the Left; liberal pundits are sceptical; professional analysts think Bajnai must now prove his ability to attract undecided voters if he wants the alliance to have a chance, while pro-government columnists are divided on whether or not the government can now lean back and consider next year’s election a mere formality. READ MORE
Commentators have little doubt about the imminence of punitive strikes against the Assad regime, but are highly sceptical both about their moral grounds and their expected impact. READ MORE
A centrist analyst predicts that “verbal war” between Hungary and the European Union is here to stay, but no real punitive sanctions are probable. READ MORE
A liberal pundit ponders the implications of Gérard Depardieu’s newly acquired Russian citizenship and criticises the government’s intention to keep graduates in Hungary if they enjoy free university tuition. READ MORE
An independent columnist believes the higher education reform has been improvised and ill-prepared, but by withdrawing it the government would just sweep the dust under the carpet. He believes politicians on both sides tend to chase cheap popularity and thereby progressively weaken Hungary’s competitiveness. READ MORE
Analysts believe that the green party which has so far emphasized its centrist identity, will soon have to decide whether or not to join the left-wing alliance. Both options are considered extremely risky, pundits warn ahead of the LMP congress scheduled for next week-end. READ MORE
Columnists wonder whether or not the government’s announcement that it will restructure the 2013 budget in order to save 397 billion Forints means that it has abandoned its previous economic strategy . Left-wing and liberal analysts believe that the government has thereby admitted the failure of its previous earlier policies. A pro-government pundit suggests that it is too early to reach a verdict on the government’s efforts. READ MORE
Observers draw gloomy conclusions from the arrest and attempted suicide of the former left-wing Romanian prime minister. READ MORE