Pro-government commentators claim in unison that the opposition is the ideological heir of the 2006 ‘Őszöd speech’ and ensuing police violence. They also insist that the opposition is still led by former PM Gyucsány from behind the scenes. A left-wing author dismisses that as pure propaganda. READ MORE
A pro-government analyst rejects a report by three US organisations as a call for NATO to interfere in Hungarian internal affairs. READ MORE
Last week, the European Parliament voted to sue the European Commission if it fails to apply the rule of law conditionality against Hungary and Poland. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist finds Hungary’s legal challenge to EU rule of law conditionality rules controversial. A pro-government pundit thinks that the EU should focus on vaccine distribution rather than trying to punish Hungary and Poland. READ MORE
A liberal foreign policy expert agrees with the Prime Minister in expecting the government to come under intense international pressure this year. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator and a centrist observer both reject former US President Barack Obama’s view that Hungary is on the wrong side of a contest between good and bad leadership. READ MORE
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
Commentators across the political spectrum think that the new rule of law conditionality scheme proposed by Germany is a victory for Prime Minister Orbán and the government. READ MORE
A liberal analyst thinks that Prime Minister Orbán miscalculated his chances of success when he opted for a head-on collision with the most influential European governments over plans to make EU financial transfers conditional on respect for the rule of law. A pro-government commentator, on the other hand, believes that Hungary must defend herself against arbitrary rule by Union bureaucrats. READ MORE
In the main pro-government daily, a leading Polish right-wing journalist condemns attempts to empower the European Commission to punish member countries accused of breaching rule of law principles. READ MORE