Critics of the opposition ruminate on what the government side should do after Péter Márki-Zay, an outsider, managed to defeat opposition party leaders and become Prime Minister Orbán’s challenger in next April’s parliamentary elections. READ MORE
In their first comments after Péter Márki-Zay’s victory was announced late on Sunday night, left-liberal commentators think his unexpected success gives new hope to those Hungarians who want to vote the incumbent government out of office next April. READ MORE
Weeklies published before the closing of the opposition primary on Saturday assessed the chances of the frontrunners, their prospects in the April general election and the main tasks of the opposition, after the primary. READ MORE
A liberal commentator thinks that despite the tense and personal exchange between Dobrev and Márki-Zay, there is no vast ideological cleavage between the opposition candidates. A conservative columnist suggests that the debate may help the opposition boost its visibility and broaden its base. READ MORE
As the second round of the opposition primary opens, Péter Márki-Zay and Klára Dobrev trade accusations of threatening opposition unity and jeopardizing the chance to defeat Fidesz. READ MORE
A pro-government columnist thinks that the opposition candidates have so far failed to outline their political vision. An alt-left commentator criticizes Márki-Zay for endorsing liberal pro-market ideologies. READ MORE
By the time the news broke on Friday that Klára Dobrev will face a single challenger, namely Péter Márki-Zay, in the second round of the primaries to choose the opposition prime ministerial candidate in next year’s elections, the weeklies were already on the newsstands. They could therefore not react to Gergely Karácsony’s withdrawal from the race, but most did comment on Márki–Zay’s surprisingly successful performance. READ MORE
A pro-government daily reads Gergely Karácsony’s decision to withdraw from the opposition primary as proof that he is a failed politician. A left-wing analyst lambasts him for releasing a string of contradictory statements. READ MORE
As the two mayors decide to run separately in the opposition primary run-off, a liberal commentator cautiously suggests that DK candidate Klára Dobrev might be the most promising opposition candidate for Prime Minister. READ MORE
Jobbik’s founder and former leader – now a political analyst – suggests that since the two mayors cannot run together for the title of opposition prime ministerial candidate in next year’s election, Márki-Zay should withdraw his nomination to let Karácsony win the opposition primary. READ MORE