A gloomy left-wing electoral analysis

A prestigious left-wing commentator believes the electoral law forces the Socialists and their allies to wage an uphill struggle, but blames them for underperforming in the campaign.

Liberal lawyer against restoring the old constitution

A left-liberal jurist thinks the constitutional changes introduced by the right wing government should be rolled back, but advocates a brand new constitution, rather than restoring the previous one.

Controversy over the new electoral system

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.

New electoral system is less proportionate, but democratic

A centrist political analysts finds the new electoral law meets democratic requirements, even though under the new system the winner seems to take all. He notes that if the  popularity of Fidesz declines, the new rules would make it easier for the opposition to undo the reforms of the current ...

Debate over electoral reform

The presidium of Fidesz have unveiled their plan for electoral reform, prompting sharply opposed views in the press. Left wing analysts believe the reform is an attempt by the governing conservative party to ensure it will rule over Hungary forever,  while a pro-government commentator believes it could constitute the basis ...

President sets election for 3 April

The main pro-government daily calls on its readers to mobilise for the parliamentary election scheduled for the first Sunday of April – the earliest possible date within the timeframe defined by the electoral law.

Registration rules revised for permanent residence

As Parliament approves the new permanent residence rules, a left-wing commentator accuses the government of trying to increase its base by offering even more voting rights to trans-border Hungarians. The leading pro-government daily accuses the opposition of using trans-border Hungarians as bogeymen again.

Opposition primaries reach their second phase

As potential candidates for the September opposition primaries gather signatures for the ballots, a left-wing commentator sees the primary process as a promising experiment.

Sceptical opinions on the chances of the Left

A left-wing commentator calls on the opposition to boycott the 2022 Parliamentary election. An alt-left blogger thinks that in the absence of a clear vision and strong local presence, the opposition cannot defeat Fidesz. A pro-government columnist contends that the opposition’s ‘Frankenstein coalition’ would be corrupt.

PM in conflict with Supreme Court

After the Prime Minister’s spokesman has sharply criticised a ruling by the Supreme Court to scrap over 4000 postal votes, which resulted in the loss of one Fidesz mandate, a pro-government columnist urges the state to react.