With just three weeks till the municipal elections, commentators in the weeklies and the weekend editions of the dailies ponder the chances of the opposition to defeat Fidesz candidates in Budapest and major provincial cities. READ MORE
A left-wing pundit expresses concern that in the event of an opposition victory in the Budapest mayoral election, the government will punish the capital by not giving it enough money. A pro-government columnist thinks that Gergely Karácsony lacks the necessary expertise and vision to lead Budapest. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist accuses the Mayor of Budapest and the government of ignoring people’s elementary need for a green urban environment. READ MORE
Pro-government analysts predict that the infighting which has plagued the opposition will continue beyond the Budapest mayoral primary. A left-wing and a liberal pundit, on the other hand, hope that the primary has united the opposition behind a candidate that can successfully challenge Fidesz in the capital. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator accuses all three Budapest mayoral opposition candidates of political inconsistencies and wonders if opinion polls by left-liberal pollsters are unbiased. READ MORE
Left wing analysts suggest that former TV host Olga Kálmán stands a real chance of defeating Gergely Karácsony, until now the only left-wing candidate in the opposition primary later this month. A right-wing commentator finds it inconsistent of the Democratic Coalition to propose her candidacy at the last moment, just before the vote. READ MORE
As the Párbeszéd (Dialogue) candidate defeats the MSZP candidate in the first round of the Left’S Budapest mayoral preliminary election, both a left-wing and a pro-government columnist doubt whether the Left can defeat Fidesz in the capital. READ MORE
As the only independent MP rescues the Dialogue parliamentary Group from extinction, a left-wing pundit warns that what happened signalled a deep crisis within the opposition that only a complete overhaul can resolve. READ MORE
Pro-government news outlets slam the team the left-wing candidate for Prime Minister has introduced as members of his future cabinet four weeks before the election as a ‘Soros squad’. READ MORE
Commentators agree that the chances of the left are meagre, as its rather weak and scattered forces seem unable to coalesce, although over half the parliamentary seats (106 of 199) can be won in individual constituencies in a ‘first past the post’ system. READ MORE