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Dispute over ‘open society’ – and its critics


As Parliament begins to debate a bill on NGOs which receive foreign funding, pundits across the political spectrum discuss the idea of an ‘open society’, an ideal frequently evoked by George Soros, and assess the status and political role of NGOs in Hungary.

Leading dailies on Viktor Orbán’s Tusnád speech


Left-wing columnists find the PM’s messages ambiguous. A pro-government commentator thinks that Mr Orbán has offered a clear analysis and a feasible proposal to overcome Europe’s multiple crises. A centrist pundit believes the prime minister may become one of the new leaders of the EU.

PM Orbán’s speech at Tusnád 2016


While most news sites confine themselves to lengthy reports on the Prime Minister’s address at the annual gathering in Transylvania, two opposition portals devote detailed comments to Mr Orbán’s positive assessment of Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican Party Convention last Friday.

Diplomatic scuffles with Romania


A left-wing commentator criticises Hungary’s ambassador to Bucharest, who expressed dissatisfaction with the policies of the Romanian government towards ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

Liberal pundit on brain drain


A liberal pundit agrees with Mihály Varga, Minister of National Economy that the brain drain is a serious problem for Hungary. He doubts, however, if the government can do much in the short run to slow down the exodus of skilled Hungarians by hiking the minimum wage.

Minority autonomy at Tusnad


A conservative columnist believes that instead of creating a common “supermarket”, the EU should focus more on the protection of minorities and their rights to self-determination.

Weeklies on Orbán’s ‘illiberal democracy’


In their comments on the Prime Minister’s speech in Baile Tusnad (Tusnádfürdő) on July 26th, left-liberal weeklies accuse Viktor Orbán of openly opting for dictatorship instead of western democracy. Pro-government analysts retort that the speech has been distorted by the left.

PM Orbán announces the end of liberalism


Analysing the Prime Minister’s speech on Saturday at the Fidesz sponsored traditional summer "free university” in Transylvania, commentators disagree on whether Mr Orbán has opted for an authoritarian model of government or just intends to increase the role of the government in promoting growth and competitiveness.

PM Orbán in Transylvania


Both left and right-wing commentators missed Romanian politicians at this year’s Fidesz summer university at Tusnádfürdő. A left-wing columnist, however, accuses PM Orbán of trans-border vote hunting while his pro-government counterparts believe that the electoral impact of the Hungarian diaspora will be miniscule.

PM Orbán envisions nation state revival


In a comment on Viktor Orbán’s weekend speech, in which the PM blamed Brussels for the mishandling of the economic crisis, pundits on both left and right warn of the perils of the revival of national sovereignty.