Right-wing commentators concentrate their fire on Bajnai and Gyurcsány, and tend to consider Mesterházy as the victim of the aforementioned. Left wing analysts have begun to voice serious doubts about whether the Socialists and their allies are in a position to even successfully wage a campaign. READ MORE
Commentators on both the left and the right wonder if the MSZP intends to re-open negotiations with the Democratic Coalition after a Socialist luminary said that former PM Gyurcsány’s party cannot be left out of an anti-Orbán electoral coalition. READ MORE
A young and irreverent commentator urges the leaders of the Socialist Party to resign because of their amateurish handling of the Baja electoral video scandal. READ MORE
Analysts across the political spectrum agree that politicians used the anniversary of the 1956 revolution to kick off the election campaign. READ MORE
According to a conservative columnist, evidence suggests that the staged Baja video tape was commissioned by the Socialist party. Népszava accuses the pro-government media of exaggerating the issue, while Népszabadság, the leading left-wing daily, welcomes the opposition parties’ decision to distance themselves from the individuals involved in the fabrication. READ MORE
A liberal columnist suggests that if Fidesz wins the 2014 Parliamentary elections, its victory cannot be seen as legitimate. A pro-government commentator compares the Socialists to the former Communist Party for staging a video in order to accuse the governing party of electoral fraud. READ MORE
After a video surfaced showing Roma men exchanging money for votes in an apartment, centrist commentators question the credibility of the footage while left-liberal columnists lament the fact that the Hungarian Roma sell their votes because they see no other opportunity in politics. READ MORE
A pro-government daily suggests that the latest election result offers few clues about the real chances of the parties in 2014. but does provide an early indication of just how ugly the campaign might get; the author warns all contenders to moderate their tone. READ MORE
A left-wing daily says the close call can be interpreted as a success for, as well as a threat to Fidesz in 2014, while a liberal commentator thinks the difference in votes is less important than the unprecedented “show of force” on the ground by Fidesz activists. A pro-government daily, on the other hand, accuses the united opposition of threats and unlawful behaviour in the campaign. READ MORE
A leading pro-government columnist urges the ruling party to admit its guilt in breaking campaign rules during the Baja local by-election, as nothing is more important for a party than being trustworthy. READ MORE