The President of the Writers’ Union condemns those Hungarian intellectuals who accuse the government of authoritarianism in foreign newspapers. In an interview in Heti Válasz, János Szentmártoni says it is unfair to question the government’s democratic credentials. READ MORE
A conservative philosopher contends that Francis Fukuyama’s criticism of the Hungarian government was based in part on erroneous assumptions. Magyar Nemzet predicts that Hungarian intellectuals who stand up in defence of the government will not impress leading Western media outlets, in contrast to the credit left-wing opponents of the government enjoy. READ MORE
A right-wing political analyst suggests that the unprecedented Western pressure on the Hungarian government is due to diverging but equally legitimate models of democracy. He warns that attacks against Hungary might lead to disillusionment with the European Union. READ MORE
Right wing Magyar Nemzet is sarcastic about letters from the Chairman of the European Commission and the US Secretary of State to the Hungarian PM, while left wing Népszabadság speculates about the lack of public criticism towards Hungary on the part of the German government. READ MORE
Népszabadság believes Mr Barroso has “sent the silk cord” to PM Viktor Orbán, while Magyar Nemzet compares the current pressure from Washington and Brussels to post-war Soviet interference. READ MORE
A leading right-wing commentator and long time critic of US policies calls upon the Hungarian Foreign Ministry to return American criticism of Hungary’s pivotal laws in kind. READ MORE
A veteran left-wing commentator believes Mr Orbán’s government cannot afford to ignore Washington’s concerns over its swift constitutional reforms, if it wants the IMF to open a new credit line for Hungary. READ MORE
Analysts usually sharply critical of the government’s economic policies suspect that the Hungarian government has no real intention of cooperating with the IMF, but wants to buy time to calm the markets instead. One liberal commentator does not exclude the eventual collapse of the Forint as a result of an American attempt to topple Orbán’s government.
Striking differences were apparent in the press coverage of the visits of two US Secretaries of State to Budapest. Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice came to unveil the monument to Ronald Reagan, while her successor, Hillary Clinton spoke at the opening ceremony of the Tom Lantos Institute. READ MORE