A conservative liberal blogger looking back on the past year contends that despite efforts aimed at a wholesale reform, the government has failed to discontinue some unfortunate practices. READ MORE
Commentators on both the left and right agree that recent scandals affecting Jobbik indicate grave conflicts and deep rifts within the far-right party. Analysts contend that this could foreshadow either its split or decline . READ MORE
In a comment on the LMP’s protest action against what they consider the government’s clientelism and corruption, one left-wing commentator criticizes the party for what he considers an ineffective theatrical performance. The leading left-wing daily, on the other hand, contends that the LMP managed to make its point, while a pro-government columnist considers the protest unserious. READ MORE
Observers draw gloomy conclusions from the arrest and attempted suicide of the former left-wing Romanian prime minister. READ MORE
A leading conservative analyst fears that the mild sentence handed down in György Hunvald’s trial is bound to strengthen populist stereotypes according to which the small thieves get caught while the bigger ones get away with their crimes. READ MORE
The current party and campaign financing rules make corruption structurally necessary, left-wing and liberal-conservative pundits agree. Even though the need for a thorough reform of the relevant legislation is widely recognised, decision makers appear unlikely to show either the courage or the willingness to make the system more transparent. READ MORE