Gyurcsány’s call for a united leftist party rejected

A conservative commentator contends that former PM Gyurcsány’s proposal to unite the Left within a single party cannot be taken seriously. READ MORE

A conservative view on the virtual “single party system”

A conservative columnist accuses the Left of provoking its own demise and thus must blame itself for Fidesz’s power monopoly. READ MORE

Magyar Nemzet sends Cabinet Minister packing

In an unprecedentedly harsh attack on an incumbent member of the right-wing government, the leading pro-government daily urges the newly appointed Minister of National Development to step down, after evidence of past tax evasion and favouritism was revealed by the media. READ MORE

President sets date for municipal elections

Left-wing and liberal columnists accuse the government of rewriting the Budapest municipal election rules in order to secure their victory at the October election, and the Constitutional Court of assisting the government in what they consider as a limitation of basic rights. A conservative analyst contends that the new rules will make the governance of Budapest more effective. Another suggests that  accusations of malpractice against the government is a sure sign that the Left anticipates another defeat. READ MORE

Former counter-espionage officer appointed state secretary

RTL Klub revolts

Commentators agree that RTL Klub, the leading commercial TV channel has launched a harsh anti-government reporting campaign in retaliation for the new advertisement tax. READ MORE

New Orbán cabinet sworn in

Commentators try to make sense of the two surprising elements of the news about the third government headed by Viktor Orbán – the planned transfer of several ministries in separate towns and the alleged feud between key Fidesz officials. READ MORE

Might Jobbik be banned?

A liberal analyst wonders whether Fidesz will ban far-right Jobbik after a prominent politician of the movement was accused of spying for Russia. By banning the far-right party, Fidesz could in the short run increase its own constituency, but it would thereby lose the strategic advantage of claiming the centre of the political spectrum, challenged from both sides. READ MORE

E P election stakes

One liberal commentator claims that voting in this weekend’s European Parliament elections would be absolutely pointless. Other liberal and left-wing pundits, however, believe that European Socialists and Liberals could help to contain PM Orbán’s power. Conservative columnists, on the other hand, contend that neither further transnational integration, nor radical EU-scepticism are in-line with Hungary national interests. READ MORE

High opposition stakes at the EP election

A centrist political analyst believes that the European Parliamentary election is important primarily for the opposition parties. READ MORE