A centrist analyst suggests that two years after the last election, no major realignment of the party system appears to be in sight, and the next election will be dominated once again, he believes, by the governing centre-right Fidesz and the Socialists – the same parties which have been competing for power since 1998. READ MORE
A friendly columnist believes that the failure of the LMP to gather the 200 thousand signatures for their referendum project was a defeat for the left-wing opposition as a whole. READ MORE
A liberal commentator deplores the fact that after almost two years of Fidesz rule, the national holiday of March 15 is being celebrated by a divided opposition, and that opposition groups have still not produced a credible alternative to PM Orbán’s government. 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 left wing columnist believes LMP has made a moral rather than a political choice. A prestigious political analyst thinks the “outsider attitude” adopted by LMP is the only politically promising approach. 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
Commenting on Saturday’s large pro-government march in Budapest, a left-wing commentator recognises that government supporters are good at organising “revolutions”. Right wing analysts express diverging views on what Hungary’s attitude should be towards international investors and the European Union. READ MORE
Political commentators agree that the resignation of LMP floor-leader András Schiffer signals the beginning of a new era, not only for his party but for the whole Hungarian political scene. READ MORE
Commentators from the political centre wonder if the anti-government demonstrations on January 2 mark a turning point in Hungarian politics. They suggest that the presence of tens of thousands of Hungarians on the streets shows that the Orbán government is losing support. Right-wing commentators, on the other hand, claim that the opposition uses the NGOs for its own purposes. 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