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Under friendly fire

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Left wing commentators welcome the unequivocal warnings addressed to the Hungarian government by various Western sources, while right wing analysts deem accusations of anti-democratic tendencies directed at Hungarian leaders unfair. READ MORE

Buying time

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

Opinions diverge on who is to blame for the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Hungarians struggling with mounting debts denominated in foreign currencies, mainly in Swiss Francs. But commentators agree that their problem is a threat to the country as a whole. READ MORE

Punishment: a condition of public trust?

Friday, August 12th, 2011

It is little wonder that the Hungarian Socialists are in decline, writes the editor-in-chief of Heti Válasz, Gábor Borókai, given the short-sighted policies of their  leaders since the late 1990s. His commentary comes in response to a statement by former MSZP president Ms Ildikó Lendvai and as a contribution to the ongoing debate about making former political leaders accountable. READ MORE

Is there a solution?

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

While the Swiss Franc hits new highs against the Hungarian Forint, the left wing daily Népszabadság urges the Hungarian government to act to soothe all those Hungarian citizens who have taken out large loans in Swiss Francs. A moderate right wing blogger believes that the government has very little manoeuvring space. READ MORE

An unnatural alliance – revisited

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

The main left wing daily Népszabadság revives the idea of an alliance between the left and the far right, in order to defeat PM Viktor Orbán and undo his reforms – despite the fact that an initiative on these lines was rejected as unrealistic and counterproductive by all commentators and possible protagonists alike. In another sign of just how bitter political enmities are, the commentator evokes the example of an anti-Nazi alliance during World War II to make his case. READ MORE

Who is to pay for the debt?

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

Commentators in Hungary are still arguing on the Parliamentary majority’s plan to find a way to sue politicians responsible for the country’s indebtedness. In the mainstream press there is full consensus on the impossibility of retroactive legislation, but left and right wing commentators disagree on all the rest. READ MORE

Debate erupts over GMOs

Monday, August 8th, 2011

The Hungarian government has ordered the destruction of hundreds of hectares of corn grown from genetically modified seeds, in order to retain Hungary’s GMO-free image. Although an unusual consensus reigns among political parties on the importance of  GMO-free agriculture, the press debates the economic and health related issues at stake. READ MORE

Universities face slimming cure

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

A conservative economist suggests more concentrated public spending on higher education. His ideas seem to be partly reflected in a draft reform document leaked from the Ministry of Human Resources. READ MORE

Former Finance Minister’s self defence

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Commenting on the governing party’s plans to sue those responsible for Hungary’s debt burden, Former Finance Minister Péter Oszkó makes a passionate defence of his one year performance. READ MORE

In the scrublands

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

The leading left wing daily deplores the deepening ethnic segregation in Gyöngyöspata, the Hungarian village which made international headlines earlier this year, due to ethnic conflicts between Roma and non-Roma, and patrols by  extreme right wing paramilitary groups.  READ MORE