Commentators on both the right and the left agree that former Premier Gyurcsány’s decision to start a hunger strike in protest against the government’s electoral reform is a piece of theatre which cannot be taken seriously, and will do little to mobilize the masses. READ MORE
Left-wing dailies accuse Mr Orbán of lying about the harsh conditions the IMF has allegedly set to start negotiations about a standby credit line for Hungary. Pro-government dailies, on the other hand, defend the Prime Minister’s resolve not to give in to IMF dictates and to prepare an alternative proposal. READ MORE
Commentators argue over the moral and political implications of what critics consider a diplomatic blunder. Right-wing pundits accuse Western critics of hypocrisy, while Népszabadság finds the official protest from the government hardly credible. READ MORE
A right-wing commentator praises the Orbán government for continuing Saint Stephen’s heritage by strengthening the Hungarian state. A left-wing columnist, on the other hand, accuses the government of betraying the legendary Hungarian king’s efforts to modernize the country, by weakening democracy and turning away from the West. READ MORE
A right-wing columnist claims that Hungarians should be proud of their Asian origins, without however embracing the racist and homophobic rhetoric of the extreme right. Meanwhile, the leading left-wing daily accuses Fidesz of having integrated far-right Jobbik, and its rhetoric. READ MORE
Historians’ polemic
In Élet és Irodalom, Eszter Babarczy argues that anti-Semitism became a political factor two decades ago, when liberals and socialists first raised the charge against their conservative opponents. READ MORE
A conservative columnist suspects that the government will only revise its controversial fiscal policy and budget forecasts for next year if forced to do so by financial markets. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator doubts whether anyone within Jobbik will learn anything from the story of their MEP who turned out to be of Jewish descent. A right-wing pundit finds the spectacle of MEP Csanád Szegedi trying to bribe the man who blackmailed him with the ethnicity of his ancestors, abhorrent. READ MORE
A right-wing commentator suspects that the European Commission intends to protect the interests of big multinational producers with its criticism of the new Hungarian government decree on “Made in Hungary” labels. READ MORE
In the wake of the murder of a young woman by a Roma man, the internet is swarming with comments urging the reintroduction of the death penalty and with racist comments. A right-wing commentator believes “the Gypsies” should find a solution. Liberal commentators condemn what they see as racist reactions to the tragedy. READ MORE