A pro-government columnist thinks that Pope Francis plans to avoid meeting Hungarian government politicians in order to punish them for defending Christianity – by keeping migrants out of the country. A left-wing commentator accuses the government of using Christianity to promote its own political agenda.

In an interview with the Economist, Budapest Mayor Karácsony, who is also expected to announce his candidacy for the leadership of the opposition, said that PM Orbán ’is short and fat, and I am tall and slim’. Soon after his remarks were published, Mr Karácsony apologized, claiming that his statement was just a bad joke.