As doctors demand higher wages to end so called ‘gratitude payments’ and stop the emigration of health care personnel from Hungary, a centrist columnist thinks that ending the system of illegal payments in hospitals is close to impossible. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator fears that the government’s plan to offer a subsidy of 10 million forints for young families will entrench poverty. His conservative counterpart calls such fears outright ridiculous. READ MORE
Tags: constitution, family, Fidesz, poverty
A pro-government commentator finds the light sentence handed down to a former high-ranking Communist leader outrageous, and accuses the court of falsifying history and encouraging delinquency. READ MORE
Tags: 1956, Biszku, court, law, War crimes
Conservative analysts suspect that the decisions adopted by the European Council on Friday will prove insufficient as crisis management tools. They believe that Europe is still reluctant to take resolute action in order to avert what they regard as a looming catastrophe. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators are outraged by the government’s decision to order ministries to terminate their mobile internet subscriptions with Telekom Hungary after the mainly German owned IT and telecommunication company scrapped its sponsorship contract with a singer whose statements on women “conflicted with the company’s values.” READ MORE
The number one left-wing daily is sceptical about the impact of the resolution adopted by the left-liberal majority of MEPs, accusing Hungary of systematically violating basic European values.
Tags: EU, European Parliament
Left-wing pundits spit fire at László Kövér, the Speaker of Parliament who said bearing children should be the most valued accomplishment in women’s lives. A conservative columnist thinks a debate on catastrophic demographic trends would be more appropriate than castigating a politician. READ MORE
Tags: demography, Kövér
After centrist parties prevented the radical right wing from converting its first round lead into victory in France’s regional elections, commentators agree that the two traditional parties have no answers to the growing concerns of the French electorate. One even hints that they should learn from Hungary and Poland. READ MORE
A pro-government columnist believes that if the European Union is serious about refugee rights, it should launch an infringement procedure against Germany rather than singling out Hungary. He is particularly outraged by what he describes as European Parliament Speaker Martin Schulz’s ‘diatribe against nation states.’ READ MORE
As Angela Merkel is named person of the year by Time magazine, and the Economist features PM Orbán alongside Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen, commentators ruminate on the growing rift between liberal elites and their opponents. READ MORE