A left-wing pundit urges the left to return to its roots, address the burning problems ordinary people are facing and send messages which appeal to the gut feelings of the electorate. Otherwise the far right Jobbik party will monopolise discontent in Hungary. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator dismisses the interpretation that Jobbik’s success in Tapolca was an indication of the radicalisation of Hungarian voters. In unison with other left-wing and conservative columnists, he also calls on the Left to abandon liberal ideology for a social democratic vision in order to challenge Jobbik.
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A week before the Tapolca by-election, a conservative analyst admits that the stakes are indeed high for Fidesz, but criticises Cabinet Minister János Lázár for warning local voters of the possible negative consequences of choosing opposition parties. READ MORE
A centrist analyst calls on the Socialist Party to return to social democratic principles, or risk further decline, including the danger of losing its voters to Jobbik. READ MORE
A left-wing analyst calls opposition plans to protest against the planned visit of the Russian president absurd. He argues that parties of the Left may legitimately demand to be informed and involved, but opposing negotiations would not be worthy of parties who want one day to govern. READ MORE
The leading left-wing daily slams the main left-wing parties for what it calls opportunistic complacency, as they criticize a far-right politician for his anti-Roma slant. READ MORE
Commenting on the National Conference of the Socialist Party, both Magyar Nemzet and Népszabadság believe that the MSZP has a long way to go before it can become a decisive factor in shaping Hungary’s future, as its leaders pledged last Saturday. READ MORE
A conservative pundit dismisses the leaders of the new spontaneous anti-government movements as daydreamers, but calls on Fidesz to wake up from what he calls its own self-satisfied dream. A left-wing analyst doesn’t rule out the possibility of a new grassroots political force emerging in Hungary. READ MORE
In a note on Sunday’s by-election result, in which the Socialist candidate scored over 50 per cent, a pro-government commentator suggests that a mass of “furious” voters now exist who are ready to choose anyone in their impatience to get rid of Fidesz. A leftist analyst agrees, while a liberal commentator warns that even if Fidesz were to lose its two thirds majority in parliament, its rule would not be in jeopardy. READ MORE
Writing in a leading left-wing daily, a former head of the Hungarian Banking Association accuses the Socialist Party of disrespecting core social democratic principles and symbolism. His advice, he writes, is offered in the spirit of constructive criticism. READ MORE