Commenting on US Ambassador Colleen Bell’s concerns about the state of affairs in Hungary, pro-government columnists are in no doubt that the US wants to pressurize Hungary into submission. Left-wing pundits, on the other hand, criticize the Hungarian government’s response and expect further US-Hungarian diplomatic skirmishes. READ MORE
In a comment on the diplomatic dispute between Hungary and Croatia over border defence and migration, a conservative pundit calls for calm, as the two countries have common economic and geopolitical interests. READ MORE
Commentators both on Left and Right think that US-Russian cooperation would be essential to the resolution of the Syrian crisis and that without restoring order, the flow of migrants to Europe will not stop. READ MORE
With the Hungarian government embroiled in an international controversy over migration, commentators both on Left and Right point to the lack of a common and fair EU policy. READ MORE
In the first reactions to the Hungarian government’s decision to halt the return of asylum seekers under the Dublin Agreement, a liberal lawyer accuses Hungary of violating its international obligations. A conservative blogger, on the other hand, thinks that Schengen border countries must put up a tough fight in order to change what they regard as an unfair EU migration system. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator fears that Europe’s security cannot be maintained without stronger transatlantic cooperation. A liberal columnist urges the setting up of a separate EU military force rather than relying on NATO. READ MORE
As Fidesz MPs support the government’s plan to send soldiers to Iraq, a conservative columnist fears that the mission may be more dangerous than the government suggests. A left-wing commentator suspects that participation in the mission is an attempt by the government to improve its relations with the US, but he nonetheless supports the idea of taking part in the military action. READ MORE
Conservative commentators agree with the government’s plan to send 100 soldiers to Iraq’s Kurdish region to serve as guards in two international bases and escort convoys along the road between the two. READ MORE
Right-wing columnists commenting on Italian PM Renzi’s talks in Moscow point out that despite economic sanctions and diplomatic disputes, pragmatic Western statesmen are willing to meet President Putin if national interest demands. Thus, they argue, it is only normal that PM Orbán is also trying to maintain good ties with Moscow. READ MORE
Commenting on the government’s foreign affairs strategy, most left-wing and liberal commentators accuse PM Orbán of selling out to Moscow. Right-wing pundits, on the other hand, defend what they see as the government’s pragmatic and balanced foreign affairs vision. Some moderate analysts castigate mindless exaggerations and ideologically motivated approaches on both sides. READ MORE