Commentators on Left and Right ponder the broader implications of the EU’s rule of law conditionality. Most importantly, they try to gauge how and when it could be used against Hungary. READ MORE
Commenting on the EU rule of law conditionality deal agreed on Thusday, a pro-government columnist thinks that the EU misjudged the Hungarian and Polish determination to withstand efforts to curb their national sovereignty. A left-wing pundit likens the dispute to the Battle of Borodino. READ MORE
Replying to an article by George Soros, the Hungarian Prime minister accuses what he calls ‘the Soros network’ of trying to eliminate national sovereignty and facilitate migration in order to create a multicultural Europe that would be ‘easy prey for global elites’. READ MORE
An independent financial analyst agrees with the Prime Minister that Hungary can secure cheap loans and finance the country even without the EU reconstruction fund, which for the moment has been blocked by Hungary and Poland. READ MORE
Pro-government columnists agree with Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch, that the EU’s attempts to make financial disbursements conditional on resect for the ‘rule of law’ resemble Soviet attitudes. A left-wing commentator predicts that PM Orbán will have to retreat in order to get access to vital EU funding. READ MORE
Left-wing and liberal commentators accuse the government of waging a propaganda war in its handling of EU criticism of the rule of law in Hungary. Pro-government pundits, on the other hand, think that the EU’s criticism originates from the domestic opposition, and is being used to blackmail the country. READ MORE
A centrist economic analyst contends that the German proposal eases the rule of law conditionality of access to the EU coronavirus EU recovery funds. He finds it unlikely that Hungary and Poland can be punished with the suspension of their EU funding. READ MORE
The weeklies, and the weekend editions of the dailies ponder the broader implications of the EU recovery fund and the next 7 year budget. Liberal analysts see it as a step towards a more unified Europe, while a Marxist philosopher interprets it as the end of the European dream. Conservative commentators interpret the deal as a great victory for Prime Minister Orbán. READ MORE
A centrist and a conservative analyst believe that the EU recovery fund agreement offers powerful tools for the European Council to punish countries found guilty of violating basic EU norms. READ MORE
Some left-wing commentators interpret the EU recovery fund agreement as a victory for Prime Minister Orbán, and a defeat for a unified Europe. Others disagree. Pro-government columnists welcome the deal as a pragmatic compromise, and see it as a huge defeat for liberals who accused the Hungarian government of violating democratic norms. READ MORE