Kádár at 100

Commentators from the left and right reflect on what the late communist leader meant for Hungarians during the 32 years of his rule, and what he means to them today. READ MORE

Clamp-down on multinational supermarket chains: are Hungarian retailers really better?

The deputy editor of the main right-wing daily asks why the government only puts pressure on multinational chain stores, rather than on every retailer caught cheating. READ MORE

Klub Radio and Demszky in the cross-hairs

Népszava accuses the government of trying to silence the only left-wing radio station in Hungary, while Magyar Nemzet finds it unfair that the former liberal Mayor of Budapest can get away scot-free with the dismal heritage he left to his successor. READ MORE

Right-wing fears about the future of the EU

Right-wing analysts ponder the possible consequences of the French and Greek elections, and express concern that the EU may fall into an even deeper political and economic crisis as a result of the strengthening of anti-austerity populism. READ MORE

Ambivalent reactions to Áder’s first speech

Commentators on the left, the centre and the right are all somewhat puzzled by János Áder’s inaugural speech. One accuses him of  ‘deception’, while others find his words overly polite to the opposition. READ MORE

The price of the IMF loan

Now that the European Commission have given the green light for Hungary to start negotiating a credit-line agreement with the IMF, commentators assess the possible consequences of the restrictions announced by PM Viktor Orbán. Both left and right agree that the talks are a step forward, but the country could pay a very high price for the credit-line. READ MORE

Anti-EU sentiment on the rise in Europe

Hungary has no option but painful reforms

Commenting on the planned reforms presented by PM Orbán in Brussels, analysts agree that the Hungarian government has no choice but to take further steps to reduce the deficit after a decade of irresponsible governance. Some, however, fear that the austerity measures will deepen the economic crisis. READ MORE

Dual Slovak-Hungarian citizenship still a problem

PM Orbán has a tough job ahead if he wants to foster Central European co-operation, while Slovakia is bent on taking new discriminatory measures against ethnic Hungarians. READ MORE

Áder nominated for President

A left-wing columnist thinks that János Áder as president will be a puppet of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A right-wing commentator, on the other hand, is convinced that Áder is an ideal candidate, since he has the experience and skills to defend himself and Hungary’s democratic image. READ MORE