A young alternative left-wing activist accuses the main left-wing parties of betraying Social Democratic principles. He recommends that they adopt the values of the Western anti-capitalist left, rather than sticking to what he calls their current ‘neoliberal’ principles. READ MORE
Left-wing and liberal columnists believe that the mostly peaceful Budapest Pride 2013 walk proved a major success or even a breakthrough for gay rights activists. They find it disappointing, however, that the police showed little zeal to pursue radical protesters who beat up three marchers. READ MORE
The main left-wing daily claims the EU cannot do much about Mr Orbán’s domestic policies while the PM reaps applause at home as a champion of independence. Another leftist outlet ridicules Orbán’s notion that the West is in decline and Hungary has brought new solutions to the crisis of advanced societies. A pro-government columnist, on the other hand, points out that members of the EPP defended Orbán in Brussels and sees business interests behind the attacks on him and his policies. READ MORE
The Bratislava-based Hungarian daily warns that the relatively high abortion figures in the southern districts of Slovakia may indicate a deep moral crisis among ethnic Hungarians. READ MORE
Commentators don’t refrain from political remarks while tens of thousands of volunteers, leading politicians among them, help professionals build temporary defences against the highest water levels the Danube has seen. READ MORE
In their comments on the Tavares report on the Hungarian Basic Law, both left and right-wing pundits deem it highly unlikely that the EU will indeed sanction Hungary. READ MORE
A centrist blogger believes that the PM does not mind criticism from European leaders, but is unlikely to risk punitive sanctions from the European Union. READ MORE
Conservative scholars say they will not team up with those who cry wolf and envision an end to democracy in Hungary. But they also explain why they cannot approve of either the content or the style of the recent constitutional amendments. They call for more humility on the part of the government. READ MORE
An independent political analyst suggests that the low popularity ratings of the EU are due primarily to the recession, but in Hungary, the government’s rhetoric is also a factor. READ MORE
A pro-government daily accuses Simor, the outgoing President of the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) of servility because he passed on confidential information about Hungarian commercial banks to the IMF and finds it outraging that Simor denies ever having ordered the report to the IMF. READ MORE