Commentators try to make sense of the bitter campaign which parties have launched, less than 12 months before the next parliamentary elections. The battles rage both across the main political fault line, and within the opposition camp. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator notes that while Viktor Orbán’s Saturday rally was attended by Joseph Daul, the opposition event on Sunday did not even receive official greetings from European Socialists. READ MORE
A pro-government analyst rejects an OSCE report according to which the media is biased in favour of governing Fidesz. A left-liberal daily complains that its election panel discussion was banned because the Kúria (or Supreme Court) and the National Election Comittee (NEC) found them in violation of the principle of balanced coverage by excluding Jobbik. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators still hope that a crushing Fidesz victory can be prevented. In that case, they suggest, any complaints from the Left about the new election rules will seem more credible. Their right-wing counterparts meanwhile are pulling out all the stops to mobilise their readers for one last push. They argue that the latest scandals have stripped the Left of its last shreds of credibility. READ MORE
A liberal commentator famous for his disrespectful remarks about politicians on all sides warns against the temptation to proudly boycott the coming Parliamentary election. He himself is not fond of any of the contenders, he says, but will be able to make his choice, nonetheless. READ MORE
Népszabadság and ATV propose a series of televised debates, including a duel between PM Viktor Orbán and Socialist Party leader Attila Mesterházy during the last week of the campaign. Right-wing pundits dismiss the idea that such pre-electoral debates are a must in any democracy. READ MORE
An independent conservative commentator wonders why Fidesz is not content with its comfortable lead in the polls and bothers to flood the media with government advertisements. A liberal commentator complains that the opposition’s only strategy seems to be to wait for major mistakes on the part of government, and has now even begun to blame its coming defeat on the LMP. One centrist analyst suggests that it is time for the MSZP to disappear from the scene because of its endemic corruption
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Commentators agree that the revelations of a former Socialist MP ,who served six years in prison for corruption, are extremely painful for the Left. Left-wing authors add however, that they believe the claims have been fabricated for propaganda purposes. READ MORE
Népszabadság believes that changing the name of the left-wing alliance was unavoidable, dictated by the nature of the new electoral system. It’s new joint programme, on the other hand, has been published because the electoral messages have not been effective so far. READ MORE