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Will Simicska wage his media war on his own?


Commentators wonder how far the feud between Prime Minister Orbán and his former friend and treasurer will go, and what impact it will have on the main right-wing media outlets which are ultimately owned by the latter. READ MORE

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Simicska bitterly opposed to 5 per cent advertising tax


The dailies build long stories around one single sentence uttered by the owner of Magyar Nemzet and HírTV, according to which any increase in the ads tax to be paid by most media outlets will lead to “a total media war.” (According to estimates, this would mean an increase from the current 0.5% or 1% ad tax to around 5%) READ MORE

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Vona’s moderate turn questioned


A pro-government commentator says he cannot find Jobbik leader Gábor Vona’s turn towards moderation credible until the leader of Jobbik discloses his opinion about an infamous racist hate website. READ MORE

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Vona turns towards the centre


A moderate conservative analyst suggests that Jobbik leader Gábor Vona has a chance to become PM Orbán’s challenger, after a series  of surprisingly measured statements designed to win over new layers of the electorate. READ MORE

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Merkel’s visit – all sides satisfied


Left and right-wing commentators draw up an equally positive balance sheet of Chancellor Merkel’s visit, but for opposing reasons. The former believe the Chancellor taught PM Orbán a lesson, while the latter suggest that her one day visit was a show of basic unity despite disagreements on some matters.

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More on Merkel’s visit


A liberal pundit feels let down by the German Chancellor. She would have expected her to schedule a meeting with critics of the government. A pro-government columnist interprets the Chancellor’s visit as an acknowledgement of the changes Hungary has undergone over the past years.

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Merkel in Budapest, closely followed by Putin


Hungary’s weeklies put Chancellor Merkel’s talks in Budapest on Monday and President Putin’s visit two weeks later in the context of Hungary’s position as a NATO member country that has consistently voted against sanctions against Moscow, while working on new joint projects with Russia. READ MORE

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’Hungarian cure’ defended


A right-wing commentator takes up the defences of Hungary’s therapy for its forex mortgage hangover in the face of criticism by the Financial Times, which warned other countries of the region against copying the ‘Hungarian cure’. READ MORE

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Government and RTL TV make peace?


Left-wing dailies report that the Government has made a deal with the German owners of Hungary’s increasingly critical No. 1 commercial TV station and thus removed a thorn from German-Hungarian relations a few days before Chancellor Merkel’s visit to Budapest. READ MORE

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Auschwitz anniversary


A left-wing commentator thinks Prime Minister Orbán should have attended the commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. A right-wing analyst quotes his words, admitting Hungary’s guilt for the Holocaust. READ MORE

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