Left and right wing commentators agree that the Hungarian government has no choice but to reach an agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. While Népszabadság and Népszava urge the cabinet to return to European norms, both Magyar Nemzet and Magyar Hírlap believe that there is no need to crawl on all fours to the lenders. READ MORE
Liberal and conservative pundits wonder if the anti-government NGOs and the opposition parties have a program which could constitute a real alternative to the Orbán government. The commentators suggest the anti-government groups have no clear ideas about what they want to do after ousting Orbán. If successful, such politics would only perpetuate populist rhetoric, they argue. READ MORE
Pundits from both the left and the right acknowledge that it is reasonable to reinstate the registration of Hungarian men of military age. A left-wing commentator, however, worries that the sensitive personal data collected by the government may be misused. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator believes the government wants to bring the judiciary under its own control, while a right-wing columnist thinks the reform will finally put an end to the left-wing domination of the courts. READ MORE
A staunchly pro-government commentator calls upon all leading politicians in the Northern Hungarian town of Esztergom, including those on the right-wing, to step down because they are incapable of cooperating with each other. He believes that the kind of irrational intolerance which they display is a nationwide illness. READ MORE
A moderate right-wing columnist finds the recent guesswork about a possible early election groundless. He believes that Fidesz has no reason to call an early vote, as it can win easily in 2014. READ MORE
A centrist political analysts finds the new electoral law meets democratic requirements, even though under the new system the winner seems to take all. He notes that if the popularity of Fidesz declines, the new rules would make it easier for the opposition to undo the reforms of the current government. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator believes that the government wants to stigmatize the Socialists by establishing in law that the Socialist Party (MSZP, the successor of the Communist MSZMP), shares responsibility for the crimes of the pre-1989 regime. A right-wing observer, however, welcomes the proposal and suggests that victims of the Communist era should be compensated. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators believe that the pictures commissioned by the government to illustrate the deluxe edition of the new Constitution promote a partisan political message. Some young conservative pundits also find the paintings kitschy, while an art historian defends their originality and artistic quality. READ MORE
Conservative and liberal commentators ponder whether the European Court of Human Rights was correct to rule that Hungary violated the principle of free speech when it banned the red star symbol. READ MORE