Commenting on the breakdown of the negotiations among left-wing parties, commentators suggest that the absence of a broad left-wing coalition plays into the hands of Fidesz. READ MORE
A liberal commentator argues that the Socialists, after coming to an agreement with Gordon Bajnai, are much less eager to grant Gyurcsány the positions he has asked for, while a conservative columnist points out that even if opposition forces come to an agreement regarding their candidate for PM, they still have no political programme for the voters. An independent centrist analyst says that despite naive hopes to the contrary, new faces are unlikely to emerge on the Hungarian political scene in the near future and the political elite is here to stay. READ MORE
A pro-Gyurcsány commentator accuses opposition forces of excluding his party from the alliance, while a pro-government daily claims Gordon Bajnai’s plan is to embrace Gyurcsány once he becomes prime minister. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators hope the agreement will put an end to destructive rivalry within the Left; liberal pundits are sceptical; professional analysts think Bajnai must now prove his ability to attract undecided voters if he wants the alliance to have a chance, while pro-government columnists are divided on whether or not the government can now lean back and consider next year’s election a mere formality. READ MORE
Commentators from both the left and right agree that former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány has successfully stolen the show and managed to use the court hearing in a land swap deal to gain publicity and accuse his opponents of acting against national interest. READ MORE
Commentators agree that justice has been done, but the investigation was too slow and the secret services could have prevented some of the racist and murderous attacks. There is no consensus, however, about the reasons behind the authorities’ poor performance. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators accuse the local council of playing to the anti-Roma gallery, as the capacity of roadside water pumps was reduced in Ózd, a rust-belt city in northern Hungary during the hottest days of summer. The main pro-government daily believes the left-wing opposition has used the case to launch a coordinated political campaign. READ MORE
Commentators remember the former Prime Minister, and agree that Gyula Horn could become a key figure of the transition because he remained a committed Socialist. READ MORE
The leading right-wing daily paints a desolate picture of the state of the left wing opposition – less than one year before the next elections. READ MORE
A right-wing commentator contends that renewed speculation about who leaked former PM Gyurcsány’s 2006 “lie-speech,” is actually part of Mr Gyurcsány’s strategy to blackmail the left-wing opposition and thereby secure himself a place in a future anti-Orbán coalition. READ MORE