Troubles with „Buttering Up”
In these past eight years, the Fidesz was screaming about the MSZP’s inability to govern, saying it is only them, the Fidesz that is, who knows what’s best for the country. Well, the truth is that they haven’t got the foggiest about what should be done except for getting their hands on all branches of power and riding roughshod over the institutions of democracy. Orban thought that maybe he could butter up Barroso, so that the latter would be so kind as to connive at the 7% budget deficit. It was not be, in fact, he was told to get lost. Then came Matolcsy, who thought maybe he could butter up the IMF and thrash out a new deal. However, the Monetary Fund demanded reliable fiscal and budgetary policies and reforms. Hence the great fight for economic freedom that ended in the appropriation of the pensions of three million people.
Fidesz is not reducing taxes, it has sent the Forint many times into unseen depths, humiliated the nation in the foreign press and rides roughshod over the institutions of democracy. At best, members of the Government are dilettant wretches, at worst, unknown puppets. Their plummeting in the polls is not quite satisfactory, but it is a most pleasant Christmas present for all democrats.
Gréczy Zsolt, Népszava,  20 December 2010

The Media and the „Kötcse Doctrine”
When election day dawned on the Hungarian people, the favourite, eventually, victorious Fidesz was not even forced to take part in neither public debates nor to make its election manifesto unequivocally clear to the general public. The prime ministerial candidate did not even bother to appear in any of the public broadcasters' election programmes.
Since February 2010, the main ambition of the Fidesz is to create a „central field of power” or, if you will, the elimination of all traits of pluralistic democracy based on the mutual contest of all parties. Their success lies in their endeavour to eliminate the conditions of free political contest, not least, the elimination of the conditions of communication thereof. Following this principle, they do everything they can to ensure that news, views, especially those unadvantageous to their own, and the clashing of different viewpoints, will not be heard on the public broadcaster. Other than that, they are trying to impose severe restrictions on the use of other means of communication. The „Kötcse Doctrine” in a way shows us the possible boundaries of the freedom of the press we can expect from Fidesz. And these boundaries evoke regimes which, hitherto, could only be found east of Záhony.
Kozák Márton, Népszabadság,  21 December 2010.

Fidesz on the Downhill?
Caution is valid for several reasons. Partly because, according to all data, the governing party is still the strongest political force, its rivals - compared to it - are barely visible and they have not strengthened significantly since the elections. Moreover, it is only worth talking about a trend if at least two or three months’ figures show the same direction. Furthermore, because trends are to be changed: a declining tendency does not automatically lead to a contiguous attrition, trends can be broken by political actions, and they can even be reversed as well.
Török Gábor, www.torokgaborelemez.hu, 19 December 2010.