Now that the European Commission have given the green light for Hungary to start negotiating a credit-line agreement with the IMF, commentators assess the possible consequences of the restrictions announced by PM Viktor Orbán. Both left and right agree that the talks are a step forward, but the country could pay a very high price for the credit-line. READ MORE
Commenting on the planned reforms presented by PM Orbán in Brussels, analysts agree that the Hungarian government has no choice but to take further steps to reduce the deficit after a decade of irresponsible governance. Some, however, fear that the austerity measures will deepen the economic crisis. READ MORE
Analysts agree that the new taxes announced by the government on the eve of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting with EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso will be a heavy burden on Hungarian households. They are not sure however, whether the new restrictions will be enough to eliminate the hurdles preventing Hungary from starting negotiations on an IMF credit line. READ MORE
Most, but not all left-wing commentators believe that the future President of the Republic will play the tune of the government and will therefore not be the kind of balancing factor the head of the state is expected to be. An MEP colleague of Mr Áder says divisions are too deep for anyone to possibly satisfy the expectations of all political sides. READ MORE
By choosing János Áder as his candidate for the presidency, PM Viktor Orbán has shown that he still cares for his one-time co-founders of Fidesz, even if they have sometimes disagreed with him in the past. By implication, he has also accepted the idea that the President will not necessarily support the government on all issues. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist thinks that János Áder as president will be a puppet of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A right-wing commentator, on the other hand, is convinced that Áder is an ideal candidate, since he has the experience and skills to defend himself and Hungary’s democratic image. READ MORE
Pro-government commentators suggest that the government should not cave in to political pressure from the European Union and the IMF, while opposition newspapers warn that by refusing to accept the rules of the game Hungary’s leaders are taking serious and unnecessary risks. READ MORE
The main pro-government daily describes the attitude of the European Commission towards Hungary as nonsensical, for it releases only vague statements on what conditions Hungary should fulfil in order to be judged fit to start negotiations with the IMF on a long awaited credit line agreement. According to the biggest left-wing newspaper, on the other hand, the real problem is that Brussels has no trust in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. READ MORE
While the whole Hungarian political and media scene tries to guess who the next President will be, following Pál Schmitt’s resignation last week, a leading centrist analyst believes that despite some concerns, it would not necessarily be a problem if the choice falls on a party politician. READ MORE