Commenting on the latest polls, a conservative columnist contends that the newfound unity of the left-wing parties, rather than increasing their electoral base, has helped mobilize pro-Fidesz voters. The reason for this, he suggests, is the lack of vision on the left. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators call on the MSZP to disown its corrupt politicians, after a pro-government daily unveiled a secret bank account with hundreds of millions of undeclared funds possessed by Socialist Vice Chairman Gábor Simon. The leading left-wing daily adds that the scandal further diminishes the chances of the left at the election in April. READ MORE
The date of the election itself has become a campaign topic, with left-wing commentators suspecting that the President’s decision was prompted by political convenience rather than neutral rationality. READ MORE
Left-wing pundits maintain that the new alliance is the only possible hope to challenge PM Orbán, albeit a rather slender one. Pro-government columnists consider the deal as proof that the left lacks ideas. READ MORE
Liberal columnists are highly sceptical about a new opposition pact which incorporates Ferenc Gyurcsány into Gordon Bajnai and Attila Mesterházy’s alliance. Some blame leading progressive intellectuals for interfering with the political process. In a lone optimistic column, a political analyst linked to the Socialist Party suggests that all is not yet lost.
Commentators on both the left and the right wonder if the MSZP intends to re-open negotiations with the Democratic Coalition after a Socialist luminary said that former PM Gyurcsány’s party cannot be left out of an anti-Orbán electoral coalition. READ MORE
A liberal columnist suggests that if Fidesz wins the 2014 Parliamentary elections, its victory cannot be seen as legitimate. A pro-government commentator compares the Socialists to the former Communist Party for staging a video in order to accuse the governing party of electoral fraud. READ MORE
Analysts struggle to account for the gap between opinion polls and the results of local by-elections. They all agree that undecided voters without clear preferences or who are unwilling to share their views with pollsters, will have a major role in the 2014 election and thus parties will spare no effort to mobilize them. READ MORE
Commentators on both the right and the left agree that the left-wing opposition parties have so far failed to find a proper campaign message. They are trying to boost their popularity instead by making irresponsible welfare promises. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators accuse Fidesz of election fraud after the Baja local by-election results in one sub-district were scrapped by the court. They also claim that the new electoral law will allow the manipulation of results at the 2014 Parliamentary election. READ MORE