A right-wing columnist castigates the Budapest Mayor for taking what he calls politically motivated decisions against the advice of a professional panel, while a left-wing outlet accuses the government of meddling in theatre nominations. READ MORE
A liberal and a pro-government commentator assess Budapest Mayor Karácsony’s performance during his first one hundred days in office. READ MORE
A liberal weekly welcomes the alliance of liberal-led East European cities as the advance guard of a potential shift in government throughout the region. A conservative constitutional lawyer warns the leaders of the cities that now they must prove their ability to govern in order to become serious challengers to the incumbent government. READ MORE
While the Brussels representative of the new left-liberal Mayor of Budapest hopes that the capital can get direct EU subsidies without having to submit applications through the government, a right-wing columnist calls the idea a bluff. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist warns newly elected city officials to abstain from selfish financial decisions that inevitably play into the hands of the government side. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator thinks that the deal reached to build a world class athletics stadium in the capital will be a test of how “dual power” will work. READ MORE
After losing ten consecutive local and national elections by a landslide majority, the opposition won mayoral posts in 11 out of 23 major cities throughout Hungary on 13 October. The surprise development still gives commentators ample food for thought. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator attributes Gergely Karácsony’s victory in the Budapest Mayoral election to what he calls the ‘rootless globalist’ values of urban voters. A liberal pundit fears that the government will punish Budapest by cutting funding. READ MORE
Reacting to a taped conversation in which opposition Budapest mayoral candidate Gergely Karácsony expresses grave moral problems with the Socialist Party, a pro-government columnist urges Karácsony to quit the political scene, while a liberal commentator praises him as a staunch opponent of corruption. READ MORE
With just three weeks till the municipal elections, commentators in the weeklies and the weekend editions of the dailies ponder the chances of the opposition to defeat Fidesz candidates in Budapest and major provincial cities. READ MORE