A conservative and a liberal columnist both find it sad that victims of fundamentalist radicalism outside the Western world receive very little attention. The conservative pundit blames the West for the chaos in the Middle East, while his liberal counterpart claims that ignorance serves anti-immigrant governments. READ MORE
Left-wing bloggers wonder if the demonstrations continuing into the New Year carry messages meaningful enough to eventually produce a new political majority, while conservative commentators suggest that the organisers have yet to offer constructive proposals for Hungary, beyond the desire to rid the country of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. READ MORE
Commentators across the political spectrum agree that after three consecutive easy electoral victories this year, the government is now under unexpected pressure. In their last issues before the end of the year, the weeklies tend to believe that the governing forces owe their difficulties to their own mistakes, although foreign pressure is also being mentioned among the causes. READ MORE
As plans to close stores on Sundays are announced a liberal weekly accuses the government of acting mindlessly. A right-wing commentator, on the other hand, believes that the government has a simple and pragmatic reason for the ban: making sure that multinational retail chains will pay taxes. READ MORE
Left-wing analysts are sceptical about the future of this autumn’s protest movement, while a conservative commentator claims that as long as the protesters don’t know themselves what they want, they will not pose any threat to the incumbent government. More radical authors believe that influential circles abroad would not mind toppling PM Orbán. READ MORE
Népszabadság thinks the 15 thousand strong Budapest rally signalled a turning point in anti-government protest, while liberal pundits criticise demonstrators for condemning not just the incumbent government, but all its predecessors over the past 25 years as well. READ MORE
Analysts agree that the American pressure on Hungary is largely motivated by geopolitical considerations and is bound to increase unless the government makes resolute concessions. They admit however that it is difficult for Hungary’s leaders to retreat from positions they have vehemently defended so far. READ MORE
A liberal columnist contends that the US is pressurizing Hungary in order to protect its own geopolitical interests. Centrist and liberal conservative commentators warn of the consequences of diplomatic isolation and call for reconciliation with the US and the EU. A liberal weekly speculates that PM Orbán is already on his way out of the EU and NATO. READ MORE
Commentators across the political spectrum agree that the United States wants Hungary to reverse the political course it has been following for the past few years. All place the recent American entry ban imposed on six Hungarian personalities suspected of corruption in this context. But they disagree on who is right and who is wrong in this dispute. READ MORE
Commentators believe the government is taking the scandalous developments seriously but are not yet sure about the consequences. In his last published comment before his death, a right-wing columnist scorns the left for seeking foreign help in the light of its successive electoral defeats. READ MORE