Speeches by opposition leaders last weekend, at the start of the new ‘political season’ offer both pro-and anti-government commentators scant evidence that the opposition could mount a credible challenge to Fidesz in the foreseeable future. READ MORE
A liberal website interprets the scene at the European Council meeting in Brussels as a clear expression of the PM’s refusal to side with Ukraine, while pro-government commentators argue that he was not the only one not to applaud the Ukrainian President. READ MORE
Commentators on both sides of the political divide are sceptical about the prospects of the opposition posing any kind of threat to Fidesz any time soon. READ MORE
Commentators disagree sharply on Prime Minister Orbán’s call for peace talks and an armistice in Ukraine. READ MORE
Left-wing commentators wonder if the government is paving the way for Hungary to eventually leave the European Union, while a pro-government columnist lambasts left-wing members of the European Parliament who accuse Hungary of corruption, while their peers are under investigation for taking hundreds of millions of Euros in bribes. READ MORE
The Day of Hungarian Culture has been celebrated on 22 January since 1989, the day in 1823 when Ferenc Kölcsey completed the verses of what would soon become the Hungarian National Anthem. Commentators on both sides draw political lessons on the 200th anniversary. READ MORE
Left-wing and liberal authors suspect that the Prime Minister is considering detaching himself from the Western alliance of which Hungary is a member, while pro-government commentators agree with his view that the international arena is increasingly characterised by opposition between rigid blocks. READ MORE
A speech by Prime Minister Orbán about Hungary’s efforts to avoid a new cold war and another by US Ambassador David Pressman exhorting ‘everyone to make their choice’ have prompted widely disparate commentaries from left-wing and pro-government columnists. READ MORE
A pro-government website lists a series of facts to debunk the Ukrainian accusation that Prime Minister Orbán treats Ukraine with ‘pathological disregard’ (see BudaPost, December 29). READ MORE
Hungarian news outlets reproduce the Ukrainian statement without commenting on it, but pro-government news sites illustrate the remarks with media photos to express their disapproval. READ MORE