As Standard and Poor’s lifts Hungary’s rating to just below investment grade, conservative commentators believe Hungary should persevere with its fiscal discipline, with the likelihood that two major rating institutions out of three may raise its rating to investment level before long. READ MORE
Tags: credit-rating, debt
The leading left-wing daily explains Jobbik’s rise as the failure of the Left. A conservative commentator suggests that opinion polls three years ahead of the next elections should not be taken too seriously, since voters become more moderate and mainstream as real elections near. READ MORE
A conservative political scientist contends that ‘gonzo’ journalism has become dominant in left-leaning media. A Marxist philosopher adds that mainstream media, both Left and Right unwittingly help Jobbik. A liberal commentator recommends that public media should be completely closed down since they always serve the interests of the governing side. A moderate commentator believes that political analysts have become mercenaries in the partisan debates. READ MORE
Tags: Fidesz, media, opposition
As a liberal commentator is accused of anti-Roma prejudice, a conservative columnist dismisses the accusations but calls on the Right to become more active in Roma integration in order to break the Left’s dominance in this field. READ MORE
As Fidesz MPs support the government’s plan to send soldiers to Iraq, a conservative columnist fears that the mission may be more dangerous than the government suggests. A left-wing commentator suspects that participation in the mission is an attempt by the government to improve its relations with the US, but he nonetheless supports the idea of taking part in the military action. READ MORE
Tags: foreign affairs, military, US
A liberal commentator ridicules the efforts of anti-government NGOs to initiate a referendum on 19 separate issues. He suggests that unless the opposition finds a clear and simple message they are unlikely to increase their support. READ MORE
Tags: NGOs, opposition, referendum
As Hungary celebrates the anniversary of the 1848 revolution, commentators both on Right and Left call for national unity and accuse each other of further polarizing the nation. READ MORE
Tags: democracy, free speech, opposition, Orbán
Left-wing magazines point out how damaging the charge levelled against the Prime Minister by his former close ally is. Liberal pundits think the uncertainty about former real or imagined police informants should have been settled long time ago by publishing all Communist secret service files, while right-wing commentators call Mr Simicska’s allegations sheer slander. READ MORE
Tags: communism, Fidesz, Orbán, secret services, Simicska
In a first analysis of the objections raised by the European Commission against the Hungarian-Russian agreement on the extension of the Paks nuclear power station, a fact-finding journalist believes this does not necessarily represent a final veto, but further objections are already on the Brussels assembly line. READ MORE
Tags: EU, European Commission, Paks, Russia