After the ‘protest oath’ taken by opposition MPs on the steps of the parliament building and before Saturday’s mass demonstration, commentators tried to make sense of the newly forged unity among opposition parties – some of which until recently opposed one another just as fiercely as they opposed Fidesz. READ MORE
While opposition leaders are bracing for new mass demonstrations, although anti-government protestors on Tuesday only numbered a few dozen people, commentators continue to advise various strategies to follow on both sides. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator welcomes the anti-government demonstrations and encourages Hungarians to take to the streets. A pro-government columnist thinks that protesting against the higher ceiling placed on overtime hours is senseless at a time of significant labour shortages. READ MORE
Pro-government commentators suggest that the anti-government protesters have no meaningful political objectives. Left-wing and liberal pundits, on the other hand, hope that the demonstrations can help create a broad anti-government coalition. READ MORE
The second day of occasionally violent street protests in Budapest have prompted extremely harsh comments to politically committed columnists. A pro-government commentator likens anti-government protesters to pests. A left-wing columnist speculates whether the government will introduce dictatorial rule to stop demonstrators. READ MORE
Interpreting Wednesday’s street disturbances after the vote on the Overtime Bill, pro-government commentators accuse the opposition of violating democratic norms, while a left-wing and a liberal columnist think that extra-Parliamentary action is necessary for the opposition to challenge the government. READ MORE
Two left-wing political scientists agree that the Left is still preoccupied with its internal struggles for leadership, which makes it unlikely to become a serious challenger to Fidesz in the near future. READ MORE
The former leaders of the MSZP and of Jobbik depict the political landscape from their own perspectives, and outline the strategies they believe the opposition should follow. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator accuses left-wing parties that supported the recent resolution of the European Parliament to punish Hungary, of treason. An alt-left blogger thinks that the Left’s call for demonstrations is futile and even counterproductive. READ MORE
Authors in the opposition weeklies wonder how the dishevelled opposition parties can become a serious challenge to Viktor Orbán. They do not call for the dissolution of the existing parties but agree that something entirely new must be devised. READ MORE