Four fiercely government-critical weeklies slam opposition leaders who have used what they see as morally questionable means in their political campaigns. All nonetheless readily assure their leaders that they find the government side even more guilty of such behaviour. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator accuses the Prime Minister of cynicism after he offered exemption from income tax to young Hungarians. A conservative pundit, on the other hand, thinks that the tax exemption will benefit both the Hungarian economy as a whole, and the Roma minority. READ MORE
A former World Bank economist living in the United States believes that the problems of Hungary’s Roma are probably even graver than those of Afro-Americans in the United States. READ MORE
Two liberal scholars accuse the government of fomenting moral panic and using the Roma to create a sense of fear in Hungary. A conservative commentator rejects the allegation and accuses the opposition for using the Roma as a political weapon. READ MORE
A left-wing sociologist believes the most forsaken elements of Hungarian society would have ample reason to revolt, just like disempowered blacks in the US – and the day may come when they will. READ MORE
A pro-government pundit welcomes the government’s plan to set up a school guard service to protect teachers and students from violence. A radical left-wing commentator thinks the plan misses the causes of school violence. READ MORE
As the radical right-wing Our Homeland Movement calls a rally to protest against what they define as ‘Gypsy crime’, a pro-government and an alt-left commentator offer diametrically opposed views on the causes of racial segregation.
Pro-government commentators scorn the Curia (the Hungarian Supreme Court) for upholding the cash compensation for the mostly Roma children who were taught in separate classrooms in the municipality of Gyöngyöspata in northern Hungary. A left-wing philosopher welcomes the decision which he interprets as a victory in the battle against racism. READ MORE
Weeklies and weekend editions of dailies right across the political spectrum discuss the implications of the government’s plans to suspend payment of compensation for inmates who have won court cases for overcrowding and Roma children taught in segregated classrooms. Each side accuses the other of inciting hatred and threatening the constitutional order. READ MORE
Left-liberal weeklies are outraged by the Prime Minister’s opinion that ‘something should be done’ about the court sentence which compels the Gyöngyöspata Council to pay compensation to Roma families whose children were segregated at school from 2004 to 2012. Conservative authors suggest that the verdict is doing more harm than good. READ MORE