Commentators seem to agree that Hungarians in Slovakia are among the losers of the Parliamentary election there. Some blame what they call the Orbán government’s wrong-headed cross-border policies; others believe the new inter-ethnic party is at fault. READ MORE
Centre-right Fidesz is walking a tightrope, trying to distance itself from the radical right-wing Jobbik party in order to strengthen its democratic and pro-EU image, without alienating radical leaning right-wing voters, a liberal weekly argues. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator believes that Ákos Kertész, a Hungarian writer who has bitterly criticised Hungary and its right-wing parties, had to leave the country as a result of fierce verbal and physical attacks from the right-wing. He predicts that Kertész’s decision will be celebrated both by the governing centre-right parties and by radical groups. A pro-government commentator regrets Kertész’s decision, and hopes that he will find peace in Canada. READ MORE
A centrist analyst believes that Fidesz did not embark on a wholesale overhaul of scores of political institutions in order to put an end to democracy in Hungary, but because the party felt that the institutional environment has always favoured its adversaries. Fidesz decided, therefore, to change that environment. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist accuses the LMP of strengthening radical right-wing Jobbik by not cooperating with left-wing opposition parties. A founding member of the LMP rejects the accusations, while a liberal pundit believes that after the next election the LMP could become Fidesz’s coalition partner.
A pro-government commentator believes that in contrast to the previous Socialist governments, which followed neo-liberal principles and bowed to international investors, PM Orbán’s main aim is to strengthen the Hungarian middle class. According to a centrist analyst, the Socialists will have no option but to try and solicit the support of the working class. READ MORE
A liberal commentator cautions the opposition parties against cooperating with Viktor Orbán’s government. He suspects that the government has only proposed talks with the opposition in order to strengthen its own legitimacy and entrench its power for years to come. READ MORE
Commentators voice their views on the bankruptcy of the Hungarian national airline – and according to their political bias, blame either the previous administration or the current government. They also wonder what the long-term implications of MALÉV’s insolvency will be. READ MORE
A pro-Gyurcsány commentator believes that the MSZP should cooperate with its left-wing allies, instead of criticizing LMP and the Democratic Coalition, since only a broad coalition of the left-wing opposition can hope to defeat Orbán at the next election. READ MORE
Liberal and left-wing analysts fear that the strengthening anti-EU rhetoric prevalent among the supporters of the government will in the long run play into the hands of the radical right. READ MORE