Commenting on Saturday’s large pro-government march in Budapest, a left-wing commentator recognises that government supporters are good at organising “revolutions”. Right wing analysts express diverging views on what Hungary’s attitude should be towards international investors and the European Union. READ MORE
Commentators agree that the debate on Hungary in the EP was of a low standard. A pro-government daily praises PM Viktor Orbán’s performance, while a left-wing commentator points out that that all MEPs followed their party lines. A centrist political analyst believes that it is still not certain that a compromise will be reached between the EU and the Hungarian government. READ MORE
As the European Commission announced infringement proceedings against Hungary, left wing newspapers blame the government, while one right wing commentator lays most of the blame on the EU for its refusal to accept unorthodox methods to tackle the crisis. Another pro-government analyst urges talks to overcome the crisis. READ MORE
Now that the European Commission has demanded a U-turn from Hungary in her legislative and political course, commentators ponder what the possible consequences are, who is at fault and what should be done. READ MORE
Left and right wing commentators agree that the Hungarian government has no choice but to reach an agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. While Népszabadság and Népszava urge the cabinet to return to European norms, both Magyar Nemzet and Magyar Hírlap believe that there is no need to crawl on all fours to the lenders. READ MORE
Liberal and conservative pundits wonder if the anti-government NGOs and the opposition parties have a program which could constitute a real alternative to the Orbán government. The commentators suggest the anti-government groups have no clear ideas about what they want to do after ousting Orbán. If successful, such politics would only perpetuate populist rhetoric, they argue. READ MORE
A left-wing columnist finds Le Monde’s latest caricature depicting Orbán as a radical right-wing politician a clear overstatement and a false hyperbole. But he warns that the cartoon indicates that the West is highly critical of the course being followed by the Hungarian government. READ MORE
Commentators from the political centre wonder if the anti-government demonstrations on January 2 mark a turning point in Hungarian politics. They suggest that the presence of tens of thousands of Hungarians on the streets shows that the Orbán government is losing support. Right-wing commentators, on the other hand, claim that the opposition uses the NGOs for its own purposes. READ MORE
All commentators agree that 2012 will be even tougher than 2010. But they disagree on the reasons, and on the best policy to follow. READ MORE
Népszabadság thinks the government may put the badly needed IMF credit line at risk, rather than complying with Western demands. Magyar Nemzet, on the other hand, argues that the Hungarian economy would be in good shape had it not been for the IMF-loans taken out by the former Socialist government. READ MORE