Libya through Hungarian eyes

Left and right wing analysts are united in their delight over the fall of Colonel Gaddafi, as well as in their concern over what will happen next in Libya. READ MORE

Racist offence overlooked

A left wing commentator is outraged by the decision of a prosecutor to drop all charges levelled against a policeman for joining a group of men who beat up a young Gypsy in a pub. READ MORE

Time for a U-turn?

A pro-government commentator has urged the country’s top leadership to admit the failure of their economic policies, and to put the national economy on an “ultra-liberal” track, to avoid lasting stagnation. READ MORE

Friendly (cease)fire

In an apparent attempt to calm the controversy over Hungarian-American relations, the state secretary responsible for foreign affairs, Zsolt Németh deems it fully acceptable that the US Ambassador to Budapest expressed her critical views in a newspaper article. Reacting in the same daily, Magyar Nemzet, Németh suggests that Washington is not always too well informed about Hungarian affairs, but says the two countries are staunch allies and the US Ambassador is a good friend of Hungary. READ MORE

Workaday problems on national holiday

Commentaries marking Saint Stephen’s day turn invariably around some of the usual controversies which divide left and right: Hungary’s international image, internal ideological divisions and the economic policies advisable in today’s unfavourable world business climate.

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Apathy – the real threat to democracy

A liberal conservative political analyst argues that the primary enemies of democratic institutions are not Fidesz and Jobbik, as left wing pundits suggest, but the general public indifference, which is partly a legacy of the pre-1989 era, but also a sign of the paralysis of the opposition parties. READ MORE

In need of true Europeans

The nation state cannot provide a refuge from the global debt crisis, warns George Soros. The Hungarian-born American investor says European economies can only be saved through further integration and centralization. Soros advocates progressive taxation for economic and social reasons. READ MORE

Radicals versus radicals on the far-right

The radical right-wing party Jobbik wants to present itself as a viable alternative to the present government at the next elections. Liberal commentators argue that uniting all the groups to the right of Fidesz, including radical parliamentary politicians and extremist far-right groups may not be feasible. READ MORE

Could strict drug laws damage our health?

The effectiveness of the ongoing war on substance abuse in Hungary draws an ironic commentary from a liberal commentator. Young Hungarians are turning to designer drugs sold as fertilizers, instead of traditional drugs. They may prove even more harmful. READ MORE

Social housing or ghettos?

Left-wing commentators fear that the government’s latest housing scheme will produce a suburban ghetto. The Ministry of Interior has announced plans to build new homes for families who can no longer service their debts. The first houses are to be built in a small municipality 30 kilometres from Budapest. READ MORE