A conservative historian and a left-wing pundit agree that Hungarians and Central Europeans should be thankful to Mikhail Gorbachev, without whom a peaceful democratic transition and independence from the Soviet empire would not have been possible. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator welcomes PM Orbán’s criticism of the ‘Sovietization’ of Europe. A liberal pundit likens the Prime Minister to the late Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and Adolf Hitler. READ MORE
A left-wing and a conservative pundit look back at the past three decades. They agree that the optimism of the early 1990s has disappeared, and Europe is facing a deep crisis. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator takes Chancellor Merkel’s ‘placatory tone’ as an indication of Hungary’s increasing political weight and economic success. A left-wing pundit accuses Chancellor Merkel of compromising on core values in order to preserve economic ties between Hungary and Germany. READ MORE
Obituaries in the Hungarian press depict a man who played a crucial role in promoting change in the late 1980s in Hungary, but who was sidelined after the first democratic election took place in 1990. READ MORE
Looking back on the 1989 Pan-European Picnic, a pro-government commentator contends that at the time, Hungarians had unrealistic hopes about the transition. He also believes that the West should show more respect towards Hungarian sovereignty. A left-wing columnist accuses PM Orbán of knocking liberal democracy again. READ MORE
As Hungary commemorates the 1989 reburial of Prime Minister Imre Nagy and his colleagues executed following the Revolution of 1956, political commentators try to trace the contemporary relevance of this event, strictly in line with their current political affiliations. READ MORE
A conservative historian argues that the democratic transition in Hungary has been a success story. She recommends that instead of constantly complaining, Hungarians should acknowledge their achievements and learn to show more determination in the pursuit of their interests. READ MORE