According to a conservative columnist, evidence suggests that the staged Baja video tape was commissioned by the Socialist party. Népszava accuses the pro-government media of exaggerating the issue, while Népszabadság, the leading left-wing daily, welcomes the opposition parties’ decision to distance themselves from the individuals involved in the fabrication. READ MORE
A liberal columnist suggests that if Fidesz wins the 2014 Parliamentary elections, its victory cannot be seen as legitimate. A pro-government commentator compares the Socialists to the former Communist Party for staging a video in order to accuse the governing party of electoral fraud. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator accuses Fidesz of suspecting an opposition conspiracy behind all unpleasant surprises including the Tavares report, and suggests that such ‘paranoid propaganda’ should help opposition forces unite. READ MORE
Magyar Nemzet accuses leading Socialist politicians of lying, when they deny their role in the preparation of the European Parliament resolution condemning the constitutional changes enacted by the right-wing government since 2010. READ MORE
Commentators on both the right and the left agree that the left-wing opposition parties have so far failed to find a proper campaign message. They are trying to boost their popularity instead by making irresponsible welfare promises. READ MORE
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
Commenting on the government’s plan to transform the energy and utility providers into non-profit services, a left-wing and a centrist columnist accuse the government of welfare populism. A right-wing pundit, on the other hand, believes that the Socialists want to increase their popularity by creating a fully welfare dependent constituency. 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
Commentators and analysts ponder whether a left-wing election alliance is still possible after negotiations between the MSZP and Together 2014 stalled and a bitter dispute erupted between the party leaders. READ MORE