The case for a 2nd Holocaust Museum

A centre-right commentator welcomes the idea to build a new Holocaust memorial site in Budapest, since he believes the first, opened a decade ago has not fulfilled its mission.

Cabinet ministers call the Holocaust Hungary’s biggest national trauma

A left-wing columnist welcomes the government’s acknowledgement of Hungarian responsibility for the crimes committed against Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust. He agrees with the government that the public needs to be reminded of the country’s past crimes.

Culture war resumes over Nazi occupation monument

Left-wing commentators accuse the government of courting anti-Semitic voters and PM Orbán of reneging on his earlier promises, as the building of the controversial Second World War memorial in Budapest resumes. A conservative pundit suspects “external forces” of trying to blame the persecution of Hungarian Jews on ordinary Hungarians rather ...

Nazi invasion monument to be erected in Budapest

Left-wing commentators echo the misgivings expressed by opposition politicians about the government’s plan to erect a monument commemorating the invasion of Hungary by Nazi Germany in 1944. The statue is due to be unveiled on the 70th anniversary, i.e. March 19th, on Szabadság (Freedom) square, in front of the monument ...

Fidesz accused of anti-Semitism again

As the government pledges to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of racism, a group of western European intellectuals accuses Fidesz of anti-Semitism. A left-wing columnist agrees, the two pro-government dailies protest.

Liberals at a loss about state honours to Kertész

A left-liberal writer thinks the government has managed to baffle the opposing camp by decorating Nobel Prize winning author Imre Kertész. His conservative counterpart believes this was a win-win game for both sides and a contribution to bridging deep-set divisions.

Monument to mark Nazi occupation nears completion

Left-liberal commentators reject the Prime Minister’s statement, which justifies the controversial statue project as a gesture to remember all victims of Nazi occupation. One even calls the statue a Nazi monument that will be blown up. A pro-government columnist says it is obvious that the monument expresses the condemnation of ...

No end in sight for World War Two controversies

In the increasingly polarized debate over the commemoration of the Holocaust and the Nazi occupation of Hungary, a left-wing and a liberal pundit call for a boycott of government sponsored events. A moderate conservative commentator, on the other hand, fears that the lack of compromise on the memorial will only ...

US-Hungarian friction

A left-wing commentator believes that the Hungarian government criticizes the US in order to strengthen its anti-Western image before the April elections. Right-wing columnists are displeased with Senator McCain’s comments on Hungarian affairs.

U.S. Embassy condemns Horthy celebration

A pro-government daily suggests that the warning issued by the US Embassy in Budapest over the Horthy statue amounts to interference in Hungarian politics. An opposition commentator blames the government for what he calls a new low in Hungarian-American relations.