Népszabadság believes Mr Barroso has “sent the silk cord” to PM Viktor Orbán, while Magyar Nemzet compares the current pressure from Washington and Brussels to post-war Soviet interference. READ MORE
A veteran left-wing commentator believes Mr Orbán’s government cannot afford to ignore Washington’s concerns over its swift constitutional reforms, if it wants the IMF to open a new credit line for Hungary. READ MORE
While newspaper columnists agree that the latest clash between Hungary and the IMF/EU delegation came at the worst possible moment, a leading conservative analyst suggests that it was only a first round of talks, and expects the delegations to return. READ MORE
A left-wing pundit criticises the Prime Minister for not admitting the failure of his economic strategy. Right-wing journalists welcome cautious deliberation and blame the opposition parties for their “irresponsible and partisan” attacks. READ MORE
Analysts across the political spectrum criticize the Prime Minister’s controversial message after last week’s European summit. A left-wing commentator, however, finds Orbán’s strategy reasonable and believes the PM’s apparent inconsistency is motivated by the expectations of the public. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators condemn Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for refusing to join the new fiscal deal of the European Union. A right-wing columnist thanks Prime Minister David Cameron of Great Britain for rejecting the package and thus winning time and space for others to ponder what to do. READ MORE
Népszabadság and Magyar Nemzet call in unison for the establishment of a European credit rating agency. The two biggest Hungarian dailies agree that American credit rating agencies are trying to pressurize EU countries to reach an overall agreement this week, but at the same time play an important role in the economic war between the EU and the US. READ MORE
Calls for the Minister of the Economy to resign are becoming more frequent, and are discussed by commentators from both sides of the political spectrum. A left wing columnist accuses PM Viktor Orbán of whipping up hatred, and calls upon moderate Fidesz politicians to intervene. His right wing counterpart favours a government compromise between employers and employees, rather than between the government and its opponents. READ MORE
Népszabadság warns the government that its planned electoral reform may spark unprecedented international condemnation. Magyar Nemzet’s commentator, by way of contrast, argues that any charges of anti-democratic tendencies levelled against the government are pointless, as long as Fidesz remains by far the most popular political party. READ MORE
Left wing papers call for PM Viktor Orbán and National Economy Minister György Matolcsy to resign after Moody’s downgraded Hungary to junk status. There are striking differences of interpretation, meanwhile, between the two pro-government dailies. READ MORE