Népszabadság thinks the 15 thousand strong Budapest rally signalled a turning point in anti-government protest, while liberal pundits criticise demonstrators for condemning not just the incumbent government, but all its predecessors over the past 25 years as well. READ MORE
Tags: protests
A conservative analyst argues that the election of an ethnic German and a Protestant as president of Romania is a great novelty for ethnic Hungarians who have often felt being considered by the majority as a secessionist threat. READ MORE
As the Hungarian government reveals an aide memoire by the US Embassy’s document on corruption, a conservative columnist accuses the US of trying to pressure the Hungarian government in defense of American business interest. Left-wing commentators accuse the Hungarian government of closing its eyes over institutional corruption. READ MORE
Tags: corruption, foreign affairs, Orbán, taxes, US
A liberal and a centrist commentator reed the success of the radical right-wing candidate in the Ózd municipal election as proof that left-wing voters are willing to support the far right if they see in that option an opportunity to defeat Fidesz. READ MORE
Writing in a leading left-wing daily, a former head of the Hungarian Banking Association accuses the Socialist Party of disrespecting core social democratic principles and symbolism. His advice, he writes, is offered in the spirit of constructive criticism. READ MORE
Two conservative columnists accuse The New York Times of bias for deciding not to publish an interview with Imre Kertész Nobel prize winning novelist who dismissed the idea that Hungary was a dictatorship. READ MORE
Tags: democracy, free speech, Kertész, media, US
A left-wing columnist urges Tax Authority chief Ildikó Vida to step down as soon as possible. A conservative commentator accuses the US Chargé d’Affaires of actively supporting anti-government organizations and encouraging protests. READ MORE
Tags: corruption, diplomacy, US
Commentators welcome the government’s decision to convert FX mortgages into Forint loans at market rates. READ MORE
Tags: credit, economy, forex debt, Forint, loan
Analysts agree that the American pressure on Hungary is largely motivated by geopolitical considerations and is bound to increase unless the government makes resolute concessions. They admit however that it is difficult for Hungary’s leaders to retreat from positions they have vehemently defended so far. READ MORE