As the second round of the opposition primary opens, Péter Márki-Zay and Klára Dobrev trade accusations of threatening opposition unity and jeopardizing the chance to defeat Fidesz. 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
The weeklies ponder what kind of government will take shape after Chancellor Merkel, a key actor in German politics and international relations, leaves the scene after 16 years in office. They also try to weigh the potential consequences for German-Hungarian relations. READ MORE
A conservative commentator accuses the European Parliament of becoming the ‘puppet’ of George Soros, after the assembly called for the recognition of same sex marriage throughout the Union. 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
A conservative columnist thinks that English commentators accusing Hungarian fans of widespread racism use double standards. A moderate columnist finds it sad that Hungary is being judged after the behaviour of a couple of hundred racist fans. READ MORE
A prominent government strategist believes the US failed to follow the pattern of democracy export used in Japan and Germany in the wake of the Second World War. As a result, the Americans failed to win over either the hearts or the minds of the people of Afghanistan. READ MORE
Opposition-leaning commentators believe the parade held on the national holiday was tasteless, while a pro-government analyst thinks that August 20 should be a rare occasion to express national unity. READ MORE
A pro-government analyst thinks that it would be timely to assess the potential benefits of ‘Huxit’. Conservative and liberal commentators disagree and see EU membership as Hungary’s number one strategic interest. READ MORE