A liberal commentator fears that the new permanent residence regulations open up the possibility of electoral fraud. A pro-government pundit, on the other hand, thinks that the US will interfere with the Hungarian election next year and help ‘pro-migration and pro-LBGT’ politicians to defeat Fidesz. READ MORE
Two left-wing weeklies condemn the government in unison for freezing the prices of petrol and diesel. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator accuses Angela Merkel of complacency towards illegal migration. A liberal MEP lambasts the Polish authorities for not admitting migrants, while, at the same time, calls on the EU to help Poland defend its borders. A moderate columnist is concerned over the humanitarian crisis but has no idea how to resolve it. READ MORE
Weekly newspapers and magazines study the prospects of opposition parties in the Hungarian parliamentary elections due in just under six months’ time. Voices close to the opposition are optimistic, cautious or even critical of their own camp. A columnist close to the incumbent government, on the other hand, warns of a witch-hunt if the current opposition win. READ MORE
A left-wing liberal commentator welcomes the Curia’s decision to dismiss one of the government’s referendum questions on the controversial child protection law. Magyar Narancs concedes that as the ruling shows, courts still are ‘to a certain extent’ still independent. READ MORE
Left-wing and liberal commentators warmly welcome Márki-Zay as the opposition front-runner in next year’s parliamentary election but worry if he will be able to keep the disparate forces of the opposition united during the forthcoming six months. READ MORE
Weeklies published before the closing of the opposition primary on Saturday assessed the chances of the frontrunners, their prospects in the April general election and the main tasks of the opposition, after the primary. READ MORE
By the time the news broke on Friday that Klára Dobrev will face a single challenger, namely Péter Márki-Zay, in the second round of the primaries to choose the opposition prime ministerial candidate in next year’s elections, the weeklies were already on the newsstands. They could therefore not react to Gergely Karácsony’s withdrawal from the race, but most did comment on Márki–Zay’s surprisingly successful performance. READ MORE
Commentators across the political spectrum wonder whether, if they win the election next April, the opposition could or would revoke the Fundamental Law – even in the absence of the required two-thirds majority in Parliament. READ MORE
The weeklies went to print well before the end of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, which wound up in Budapest on Sunday. Opposition-leaning commentators accuse the government of using religion for political purposes, and contrast it with Pope Francis, whom they describe as an authentic believer. A pro-government analyst believes their criticism is disingenuous. READ MORE