HUNGARY: Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany accuses Opposition of radicalising its policies and encouraging extremists

The Hungarian prime minister re-confirmed his commitment to his government's economic reforms and accused the opposition of radicalising its policies and encouraging extremists at a press talk given only to foreign media. Hungary will not soften its budget policies and will continue to work towards cutting its budget deficit to 3 percent of the gross domestic product by 2009, down from near 10 percent in 2006, prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told a gathering of foreign journalists on Tuesday (February 27). Gyurcsany added that while the budget numbers in late 2006 and early 2007 have been better than expected, the government has only began to rebuild its credibility lost during five years of budget overshoots. In pledging to slash the budget deficit from 10 percent of the gross domestic product, the highest level in the European Union, to 3.2 percent by 2009 and to put the country back on the road to the euro, Gyurcsany has won the support of investors. But he polarized the deeply divided country further when he last year admitted in a leaked tape that he had lied about the size of the budget deficit to win the April 2006 re-election, prompting weeks of protests in which hundreds were injured. There is a prospect of further anti-government unrest on March 15, a national holiday and traditionally a day of protest under communism, as the main right wing opposition Fidesz party has said it will stage a mass demonstration in Budapest. Fidesz politicians have once more called for new elections, saying the prime minister's lies has shaken the confidence in the democracy, but Gyurcsany accused them of stoking violence. At the press talk, Gyurcsany accused Fidesz of betraying conservatism and encouraging right wing extremists in order to destabilise the government and force new elections. "I think the largest opposition party has betrayed right wing conservatism and it has embarked on the road of radical politics," Gyurcsany said. But added that he thought the majority of Hungarians do not support radicalism. "The Hungarians have always searched for compromises. Our history shows that we were never good in our revolutions and we were always good at compromises. And this is what we are seeing now too. I think that the end of this process is that everyone will get back to the parliament and will do their jobs," Gyurcsany said. "[Fidesz is trying] to do a radical policy but not mixing with the unacceptably radical extremists. Encouraging them but not stepping over the line. To give an ideology to them but avoiding political alliance," he said. "At the same time, the choice of the venue of the demonstration, either the Astoria on October 23rd or now the Elizabeth bridge shows that they want [Fidesz] to send a message to the extremist political elements," Gyurcsany said referring to the upcoming national day. "At the same time I firmly believe that Fidesz do not have sufficient capacity to control the extremist political forces. Therefore they take risks every time when they move on the border between radical politics and radical street demonstrations," he added. Gyurcsany was strongly critical of his political rival, Fidesz leader, Viktor Orban. "That [old] Viktor Orban used to be a smart, passionate, patriotic and democratic man. Today's [Orban] is not like that anymore. And I'm very sorry about that," Gyurcsany said. Answering questions whether he expected any more riots on the national day he said that he expected the national day on March 15 would be burdened with tension, but not riots.

ITN Source | February 28, 2007

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