’Hunger Marchers’ reach Budapest

An influential right wing pundit claims the demonstration is a joint MSZP-Jobbik attack on the government, while independent bloggers accuse the official parliamentary guard of complicity in setting up a counter-demonstration banner in front of Parliament. A libertarian commentator finds it rather sad that marching people still expect the government ...

What will change after Saturday’s right-wing march?

Commenting on Saturday’s large pro-government march in Budapest, a left-wing commentator recognises that government supporters are good at organising “revolutions”. Right wing analysts express diverging views on what Hungary’s attitude should be towards international investors and the European Union.

Péter Magyar mobilized another massive rally

Opinions diverge on both the size of the crowd cheering the new opposition star on Saturday and his chances to bring about a regime change.

Weeklies see election outcome as uncertain

Analysts tend to believe that thanks to the impact of the Hódmezővásárhely mayoral election, opposition parties will probably find a way to field a single candidate in most individual constituencies. This would enable them to mount a serious challenge to Fidesz.

More about the Veszprém by-election

Commentators agree that the anti-government candidate won the vacant Veszprém seat in Parliament because he is seen as an outsider who does not belong to either the government or the opposition. Thus his victory is a harbinger of a new phase of the game where government candidates can be beaten ...

Government’s annual balance tilting towards red

Commentators across the political spectrum agree that after three consecutive easy electoral victories this year, the government is now under unexpected pressure. In their last issues before the end of the year, the weeklies tend to believe that the governing forces owe their difficulties to their own mistakes, although foreign ...

US accused of pressuring Hungary

Right-wing columnists commenting on the Sunday anti-Fidesz protest accuse Washington of trying to pressurise and destabilise the Orbán government through non-democratic means. They disagree, however, on whether the Hungarian government should take up the gauntlet or seek reconciliation.

Further ruminations on Obama’s Hungary remarks

A left-wing columnist sees the critical remarks made by President Obama accusing the Hungarian government of intimidating NGOs as evidence that the US is deeply concerned about the state of Hungarian democracy. A pro-government commentator accuses President Obama of applying double standards against Hungary.

Former counter-espionage officer appointed state secretary

Liberal commentators note that former Communist secret service personnel have never really left Hungarian politics as no government has had the will to get rid of them. Earlier, a leading pro-government pundit and the organisers of the pro-government “peace marches” called for the removal of the newly appointed state secretary ...

Bajnai and Bilderberg – the plot thickens

A liberal weekly calls recent accusations by right-wing pundits against the Bilderberg Group conspiracy theories, while a pro-government commentator thinks the invitation to Gordon Bajnai this year may signal an intention to interfere in Hungarian domestic politics.