Commentators from both the left and right agree that former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány has successfully stolen the show and managed to use the court hearing in a land swap deal to gain publicity and accuse his opponents of acting against national interest. READ MORE
Commentators across the political spectrum use St Stephen’s Day to put current political developments and debates into an historical perspective. Right-wing pundits praise the government for reinstating St. Stephen’s heritage, while a left-wing columnist accuses it of completely ignoring its critics. READ MORE
Commentators find Romanian accusations against Hungary out of proportion with the controversial statements made by Hungarian politicians in Transylvania. A left-liberal columnist thinks even far right Jobbik leader Vona should not be denied the right to travel to and speak in Romania. A pro-government columnist, on the other hand, finds Romanian President Traian Băsescu’s attack on Fidesz, a former international ally, a breach of trust that only serves Băsescu’s presidential campaign. READ MORE
Magyar Nemzet acknowledges that Hungarian far-right extremists do proselytise in Transylvania, but dismisses a claim by the Romanian Foreign Ministry that the Hungarian government should dissociate itself from Jobbik leader Vona’s statements. Népszabadság blames PM Orbán for exporting Hungarian party politics to Romania and setting an example for Jobbik’s absurd campaign. READ MORE
Magyar Nemzet castigates left-liberal critics who voice doubts about the seriousness of the “Sólyom” project. READ MORE
Commentators agree that justice has been done, but the investigation was too slow and the secret services could have prevented some of the racist and murderous attacks. There is no consensus, however, about the reasons behind the authorities’ poor performance. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators accuse the local council of playing to the anti-Roma gallery, as the capacity of roadside water pumps was reduced in Ózd, a rust-belt city in northern Hungary during the hottest days of summer. The main pro-government daily believes the left-wing opposition has used the case to launch a coordinated political campaign. READ MORE
Both national left-wing dailies compare PM Orbán’s plans to revive Hungarian football to Goulash-communism, the Hungarian version of Soviet-style socialism. The two pro-government newspapers celebrate the victories achieved by Hungary at the swimming world championship in Barcelona. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators fear that the rules of non-resident external voting will encourage fraud. They explore several scenarios of vote rigging and accuse the government of consciously leaving such loopholes in the legislation. READ MORE
Commentators across the political spectrum ponder the possible impact of the IMF loan repayment and the conversion of foreign currency-based mortgages into Forint credit. READ MORE