Ex gendarmerie captain Sándor Képíró, 97, was acquitted of the charge of responsibility for the execution of more than 30 Jews and Serbs in Serbia in 1942. Left and right-wing commentators compare this case to earlier trials involving those accused of crimes during the Communist period, and appear to agree that it is almost impossible to administer genuine justice. READ MORE
A new Church Law has ignited fierce controversy in Parliament and the press – hardly surprising in a country where the relationship between the state and the churches has always figured highly in battles between right and left. READ MORE
It is high time for mainstream parties to pull themselves together and face the gravity of the racial conflicts in rural Hungary – both right and left-wing commentators conclude from the election of a far right candidate as mayor of Gyöngyöspata, in Northern Hungary.
Changes to the law which require work in return for welfare payments, are sharply criticised by left-leaning commentators. They suggest that the requirement is inhumane, and predict that the planned public work programme will prove costly and inefficient. A right-wing pundit writes that Hungary has no choice but to abolish unconditional benefits, because of the economic crisis. But a liberal journalist also welcomes public incentives which promote self-reliance. READ MORE
The Hungarian Parliament has passed the so-called “chips tax” on unhealthy food. The government expects Hungarians to lead healthier lives as a result, but the extra tax may also have a negative impact on Hungarian producers. Right-wing commentators also question why, if the government is so interested in improving our health, it withdrew plans to increase the tax on tobacco products. READ MORE
A green leader’s proposal that a “technical election alliance” be established between right and left wing opposition parties in order to revoke recent constitutional changes, finds little sympathy among media commentators, but some do not dismiss the idea out of hand. READ MORE
The decision to axe 550 jobs at four public service media is criticised as an act of ‘political cleansing’, while decision-makers say it was necessary in order to streamline the system. READ MORE
Whose interest might it be to implicate the Chief Executive Officer of Hungary’s oil multinational MOL in a Croatian corruption scandal, which also involves former PM Ivo Sanader? Hungarian commentators speculate. READ MORE
The end of Hungary’s EU presidency, PM Viktor Orbán’s presentation of its achievements, and the demand from the European Parliament for Hungary to revise the new constitution provoke mixed reactions in the Hungarian press. READ MORE
A spy scandal replete with allegations of wrongdoing against two former heads of Hungary’s counter-espionage service, as well as a former Socialist cabinet minister responsible for supervising the secret services, has provoked conflicting commentaries in the press. All the more so, as the details have been classified as state secrets for the next 78 years. READ MORE