IMF resumes negotiations with Hungary

Commentators in right wing dailies  welcome the news that the IMF has accepted the amended National Bank Act and will now resume negotiations. Left of centre dailies criticise the delays, the prevarications and fear that the government might at any time decide to turn back and play the ”Turkish card” ...

EU to lift ban on development aid to Hungary

Commentators all welcome the recommendation of the European Commission  that an earlier threat to suspend development aid to Hungary should not be carried out. They also warn, however, that the government still has a lot to do in order to boost economic growth and restore investors’ confidence.

Verbal duel between Budapest and Brussels escalates

Pro-government commentators suggest that the government should not cave in to political pressure from the European Union and the IMF, while opposition newspapers warn that by refusing to accept the rules of the game Hungary’s leaders are taking serious and unnecessary risks.

The EU sets vague conditions for credit talks

The main pro-government daily describes the attitude of the European Commission towards Hungary as nonsensical, for it releases only vague statements on what conditions Hungary should fulfil in order to be judged fit to start negotiations with the IMF on a long awaited credit line agreement. According to the biggest ...

Infringement procedures against Hungary: a collision of principles?

Commenting on the European Commission's decision to launch infringement procedures against Hungary, left-wing columnists believe that Brussels took a moral stand, while their conservative counterparts interpret the Commission's decision as an example of the EU's double standards.

Infringement proceedings against Hungary

As the European Commission announced infringement proceedings against Hungary, left wing newspapers blame the government, while one right wing commentator lays most of the blame on the EU for its refusal to accept unorthodox methods to tackle the crisis. Another pro-government analyst urges talks to overcome the crisis.

Hungarian government under mounting press pressure

The Forint stopped sinking on Thursday after a soothing statement by the Hungarian IMF negotiator. Prior to that statement, commentators from both right and left warned that the government should be more cooperative with the EU and the IMF in order to restore the confidence of international investors.

IMF preparatory talks to start early January

Népszabadság thinks the government may put the badly needed IMF credit line at risk, rather than complying with Western demands. Magyar Nemzet, on the other hand, argues that the Hungarian economy would be in good shape had it not been for the IMF-loans taken out by the former Socialist government.

Conflicting reactions to Hungary’s double junk status

Right-wing commentators attribute the downgrade of Hungary’s sovereign debt by Standard and Poor’s to the deepening crisis of the Eurozone. According to left-wing pundits it just reflects the failure of the Orbán government’s unorthodox economic strategy. A moderate conservative observer cautions against an overly independent policy line.

Credit line talks interrupted

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.