Commentators suggest that the main parties seem embarrassed by accusations aired by a former leading Tax Authority official, who claims that a group of large enterprises are practically exempt from check-ups and enjoy the protection of powerful people. READ MORE
Commentators across the political spectrum wonder about the possible reasons behind the restrictions announced by the Minister of the Economy. READ MORE
A pro-government columnist writes that Cyprus is yet another example of how the EU-IMF pair wrecks vulnerable countries, while centrist commentators claim Cyprus is a special geopolitical case and is unlikely to serve as a precedent. READ MORE
A pro-government columnist welcomes the government’s plans to tax Hungarian deposits abroad. Left-wing and liberal commentators believe that the proposed tax is just a populist rhetorical stunt, rather than an effective measure to close tax evasion loopholes. READ MORE
A liberal conservative commentator criticizes PM Orbán’s plan to transform public utilities into non-profit businesses. According to Véleményvezér, the Premier wants to boost his support by opening up a new controversy with the EU. READ MORE
Commentators agree that the IMF and the EU will make the credit line agreement with Hungary conditional on significant changes in the tax code. But while a left-wing columnist believes that the IMF’s demands would benefit the lower classes, a pro-government pundit contends that it would only be advantageous for multinational firms. READ MORE
A left-wing analyst suggests that by subsidising the middle classes, the Hungarian government is going against the grain of current trends in Western economic policies. A conservative philosopher, on the other hand, argues that society must acknowledge merit if it wants to encourage performance. READ MORE
Now that the European Commission have given the green light for Hungary to start negotiating a credit-line agreement with the IMF, commentators assess the possible consequences of the restrictions announced by PM Viktor Orbán. Both left and right agree that the talks are a step forward, but the country could pay a very high price for the credit-line. READ MORE
Analysts agree that the new taxes announced by the government on the eve of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting with EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso will be a heavy burden on Hungarian households. They are not sure however, whether the new restrictions will be enough to eliminate the hurdles preventing Hungary from starting negotiations on an IMF credit line. READ MORE
While newspaper columnists agree that the latest clash between Hungary and the IMF/EU delegation came at the worst possible moment, a leading conservative analyst suggests that it was only a first round of talks, and expects the delegations to return. READ MORE