Government extends loan rate caps
Friday, October 28th, 2022A left-wing commentator questions the government’ decision to impose interest rate caps on business loans. READ MORE
Bank mogul falls out of favour with government
Friday, June 10th, 2016News analysts come forward with elaborate theories to explain what appears to be the sudden downfall of Hungarian bank mogul Zoltán Spéder from the echelons of power, but they admit that they lack facts to corroborate their explanations. READ MORE
Major brokerage house investigated for fraud
Wednesday, March 4th, 2015Pundits both on Right and Left fear that trust in banks and financial markets will weaken as the National Bank suspends operation of the Buda-Cash brokerage house, and estimates that as much as 100 billion Forints may have been embezzled. READ MORE
Hungary buys stake in ERSTE, pledges bank tax cut
Thursday, February 12th, 2015Conservative pundits welcome the government’s decision to temporarily invest in ERSTE Bank Hungary and pledge to take out the surplus bank tax. This, they believe, will help consolidate the banking sector and boost lending. A left-wing commentator doubts that the government will fulfil its promises. READ MORE
Hungary buys MKB Bank
Saturday, July 26th, 2014Analysts wonder if it makes sense to increase public ownership in the banking sector. A pro-government commentator welcomes the decision, which he believes will help the economy, while a left-wing columnist warns against spending public money to consolidate MKB. READ MORE
PM calls for ’fair banks’
Monday, July 7th, 2014As Parliament passes the law on foreign currency loans and PM Orbán announces a new era of ’fair banks’, the leading left-wing daily calls for an era of fair politics. A conservative columnist on the other hand, welcomes the idea of a more regulated financial system that would be more in line with national interests. READ MORE
Foreign currency (FX) loans to be eliminated
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014As the government promises to convert FX loans into Forint credit by the end of the year, analysts wonder how the conversion could and should be carried out. READ MORE
Banks report modest profit
Saturday, March 1st, 2014As two-thirds of banks in Hungary report a profit in 2013 after two years of losses, a conservative columnist points out that contrary to the predictions of left-wing critics of the government, taxes levied on banks have not undermined their profitability. The leading left-wing daily, on the other hand, warns of the low volume of lending. READ MORE
Central Banker Matolcsy on FX loans and banks
Tuesday, December 24th, 2013The leading left-wing daily accuses National Bank chief Matolcsy of compromising judicial independence and the rule of law by calling for retroactive legislation in order to abolish FX loans. A pro-government commentator welcomes the government’s efforts to strengthen Hungarian owned banks. READ MORE
A right-wing take on FX mortgages
Friday, November 15th, 2013A conservative economist contends that forex mortgages endanger European financial stability and calls for EU action to ease the burden on debtors. READ MORE