Hungary’s national dailies offer diametrically opposed interpretations of Tuesday’s meeting between PM Viktor Orbán and US ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis. Left wing newspapers believe the Hungarian government was severely criticised for what they term its undemocratic tendencies, while pro-government commentators suggest that no words of censure were uttered. READ MORE
Tags: diplomacy, foreign affairs
Hungary will have to either side with France and Germany and opt for tightening cooperation between EU countries, or follow Great Britain in trying to broaden national competences within the Union, a left wing columnist suggests. READ MORE
Tags: EU
A right-wing pundit believes the anti-Wall Street movement is here to stay, but is not particularly popular in Hungary, because the Hungarian government is already working to satisfy its demands. READ MORE
The major left wing daily compares Ferenc Gyurcsány’s position to the Palikot Movement in Poland, while a right wing publicist believes that the former PM will end up disintegrating the Socialist Party. READ MORE
Left wing columnists are united in condemning a decision by the mayor of Budapest to appoint actor György Dörner as head of Új Színház (New Theater). They focus on what they regard as the low professional level of Mr Dörner’s application, and his political support of the extreme right. A popular right wing journalist counters that the attack is due to Mr Dörner’s political beliefs rather than his professional standard. READ MORE
Tags: anti-Semitism, Csurka, Dörner
A liberal conservative blogger supports the introduction of voter registration as outlined in the draft election law, which will soon be discussed by Parliament. In his view such a requirement would help combat demagoguery by keeping last minute voters away from the ballot box. READ MORE
Tags: elections
There is no Hungarian Gypsy nation, a Roma activist claims. He suggests that instead of blaming the majority, the Roma should create a positive identity for themselves that could help the gypsies to become self-reliant and integrate into society. READ MORE
Tags: Roma
Pundits across the political spectrum have recently been preoccupied with the question whether a broad coalition on the left could successfully replace Fidesz at the next election. Left-wing commentators warn that electoral success alone would not amount to victory, since a too broad anti-Orbán alliance without a clear vision would not be able govern the country. READ MORE
A conservative economist and a right-wing commentator both suggest that next year’s budget cuts and tax increases are the consequence of unforeseen global economic factors. The draft of next year’s budget anticipates slower growth and contains further cuts in expenditures. READ MORE
Twenty years after the regime change, Hungarians still do not care much for public property. A left-wing columnist blames the lack of public concern for public goods on the still prevailing heritage of “state socialism”. READ MORE