Hungary at loggerheads with the EU
Saturday, April 20th, 2013A centrist analyst predicts that “verbal war” between Hungary and the European Union is here to stay, but no real punitive sanctions are probable. READ MORE
PM Orbán defiant towards the EU
Wednesday, April 17th, 2013A centrist blogger believes that the PM does not mind criticism from European leaders, but is unlikely to risk punitive sanctions from the European Union. READ MORE
Punitive sanctions desirable?
Monday, April 1st, 2013Former SZDSZ MP Tamás Bauer who is a professor of economics and serves as Vice-Chairman of Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition (DK) party, believes it would be in Hungary’s best interest to be punished by the EU for what he calls the government’s ill-conceived economic policy and “autocratic” rule. READ MORE
A new front-line between the EU and Hungary: home distilled pálinka
Monday, June 25th, 2012A left-wing commentator welcomes the European Commission’s decision to require Hungary to tax farmers who distil brandy. A right-wing columnist find the demand ridiculous and accuses the EU of applying double standards, once again, towards Hungary. READ MORE
EU lifts Hungarian cohesion fund suspension
Monday, June 25th, 2012The leading pro-government daily welcomes the decision by the ECOFIN to lift the suspension of 500 million Euros in aid to Hungary, and explains it as an open acknowledgement of the validity of the government’s economic policies. Left-wing commentators, on the other hand, believe that the Hungarian government has wasted two years and was forced by the EU to back-pedal on the counter-productive economic strategy it initially pursued. READ MORE
EU to lift ban on development aid to Hungary
Friday, June 1st, 2012Commentators all welcome the recommendation of the European Commission that an earlier threat to suspend development aid to Hungary should not be carried out. They also warn, however, that the government still has a lot to do in order to boost economic growth and restore investors’ confidence. READ MORE
Europe vs. Hungary – a clash of interests or principles?
Wednesday, March 28th, 2012A right-wing columnist accuses the European left of attacking the Hungarian government in order to restore the credibility of their battered ideological fellows within Hungary. A left-wing analyst, on the other hand, finds that Western criticism is only aimed at defending basic European values. READ MORE
Can Polish-Hungarian friendship be non-divisive?
Monday, March 26th, 2012Looking back at the controversial March 15 celebrations in Budapest, a conservative Polish commentator finds it sad that there are no more non-political national holidays, at least not in Hungary. And the contagion has reached Poland as well. READ MORE
Ruminating about EU sanctions
Thursday, March 15th, 2012Hungary’s leading business daily warns that the sanctions imposed on Hungary by the European Union are just the beginning of the road, and instead of complaining about being treated unfairly, Hungary had better comply with the recommendations of the European Commission. READ MORE
Hungary punished by the EU Finance Ministers
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012Analysts were in no doubt that European finance ministers would approve the partial suspension of next year’s cohesion funds for Hungary. What they do not agree upon is who is at fault. READ MORE