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
As the birth rate in Hungary continues to fall, despite government measures to encourage procreation, commentators cautiously wonder if some degree of immigration may prove unavoidable in the foreseeable future. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator hopes that a new programme funded by the European Union will finally halt the progressive depopulation of rural Hungary. READ MORE
A centrist commentator blames decision makers for not even trying to address the frightening “free fall” in the number of inhabitants in rural areas. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist accuses the Orbán government of effectively driving Hungarians with minority backgrounds and left-leaning young people out of the country. His conservative counterpart dismisses the accusations and remarks that studying or working abroad for a couple of years is part of normal life in a free country. READ MORE
A right-wing economist suggests that in order to make the pension system balanced for the foreseeable future, Hungary should return to traditional family-based solidarity. A conservative blogger believes that a wide public debate should be initiated about the future of the pension system. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist accuses House Speaker and leading Fidesz politician László Kövér of advocating anti-abortion ideas. A pro-government commentator rejects this interpretation of Köver”s words, and suggests that the speaker actually wanted to highlight the demographic consequences of the declining birth rate. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators claim that Fidesz wants to send women back to the kitchen, after a Fidesz MP suggested that the low birthrate is the main problem with Hungarian families. A pro-government columnist contends that the opposition is deliberately misinterpreting the statement. READ MORE
A left-wing daily believes that the government’s plans to stimulate birth rates by helping mothers get back to work and retire earlier will prove ineffective. It suggests that instead of helping middle class families, the government should focus rather on the poor in order to improve Hungary’s disastrous demographic lull. READ MORE
The latest data suggest that the Hungarian population is continuing to decline. According to a right-wing daily, the recent changes in the welfare system may have contributed to this sad trend. A left-wing journalist notes that only in-depth surveys would uncover the real causes – one should not automatically blame the current government. READ MORE