Post by yeni on Apr 15, 2008 23:09:22 GMT -5
www.budapestsun.com/cikk.php?id=28088
A Socialist minority government with external liberal support seems most likely.
“I think the person of the prime minister is only important for a couple of people in this country,” Ferenc Gyurcsány told an international press conference on Friday (Apr 4), adding, “what really matters is the program of the premier and the government.”
The meeting was called to brief the press about the latest developments in the crisis between the governing Socialist Party (MSzP) and the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats (SzDSz), after the SzDSz announced it would leave the coalition.
“I have to tell you, that I’m not at all happy with the SzDSz’s decision to leave the coalition, and I strongly belive that that a coalition government would be more favorable for the country,” Gyurcsány stated.
The most likely scenario now, he said, was the forming of an open, one-party Socialist government, with external support of the SzDSz, and, in some cases, the center-right Hungarian Democratic Forum.
With the SzDSz quitting the formal coalition, the Socialist parliamentary party is left with a slight minority in the House, needing six additional votes from other factions for a simple majority, when all MPs are present at a vote.
The PM also said the greatest challenge the government had to face was not its conflict with the liberals, but the forming of an extremely strong anti-reform movement, led by the main opposition party, Fidesz.
“The irony of the situation is that it’s not even enough to have a majority in Parliament, because this anti-reform movement has acquired the proper tools to undo any kind of change outside the House,” Gyurcsány said, referring to continuous threats of referenda from Fidesz that aim to overturn bills earlier approved by the Parliament.
Minority government
According to the PM, the government has to find a “very delicate balance” between those who want more radical reforms, and those who don’t accept change of any kind, to explore which of the necessary changes have at least the minimum support of society.
“It’s much better to accomplish moderate reforms than to fail with radical ones,” he said, in a comment on SzDSz insistence on its original reform program.
Speaking of the obvious difficulties of a minority government (most analysts believe it will be virtually impossible to run a minority government in the current Hungarian political environment), he said he was ready to resign whenever the coalition parties could agree on a new program that is, at least, as committed to reform as he says he has been.
“In this case, this will be a new program of a new government, and the two parties should decide whether they want me or someone else to lead this government. My person will never be a barrier to a change like that,” Gyurcsány promised.
Asked about the possibility of going to the country early, the PM said, “The problem with early elections is that we have no idea what the program of the opposition parties would be.”
According to the PM, Fidesz had gained all its popularity in the past two years from anti-reform phrases.
“Making way for an anti-reform movement in the current situation would be a great irresponsibility on our part, and Fidesz could only initiate reforms in this situation if it completely turned around, which is the same thing they have accused the MSzP of in the last two years.
Cards on the table
“The basic condition to an early election would be everybody laying their cards on the table,” Gyurcsány concluded.
Replying to a question from right-leaning news channel HírTV on whether he supported an “expert government” led by central bank boss András Simor, who suggested a radical cut of public spending in a recent article, the premier asked: “Do you seriously think that a Ft2 trillion ($12bn) cut in public spending would have majority support in today’s Parliament?”
He suggested the journalist asked Fidesz about that proposal, because he was definite the Socialist party would never support a program of that kind.
“That amount is a whole year of pension,” Gyurcsány explained, saying that government reforms aimed to save 2-3% of this amount, and even that was blocked by the opposition.
“Whenever Fidesz is ready to back a proposal of cutting public spending, I personally guarantee that the Socialist Party will be there in support,” he said.
A Socialist minority government with external liberal support seems most likely.
“I think the person of the prime minister is only important for a couple of people in this country,” Ferenc Gyurcsány told an international press conference on Friday (Apr 4), adding, “what really matters is the program of the premier and the government.”
The meeting was called to brief the press about the latest developments in the crisis between the governing Socialist Party (MSzP) and the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats (SzDSz), after the SzDSz announced it would leave the coalition.
“I have to tell you, that I’m not at all happy with the SzDSz’s decision to leave the coalition, and I strongly belive that that a coalition government would be more favorable for the country,” Gyurcsány stated.
The most likely scenario now, he said, was the forming of an open, one-party Socialist government, with external support of the SzDSz, and, in some cases, the center-right Hungarian Democratic Forum.
With the SzDSz quitting the formal coalition, the Socialist parliamentary party is left with a slight minority in the House, needing six additional votes from other factions for a simple majority, when all MPs are present at a vote.
The PM also said the greatest challenge the government had to face was not its conflict with the liberals, but the forming of an extremely strong anti-reform movement, led by the main opposition party, Fidesz.
“The irony of the situation is that it’s not even enough to have a majority in Parliament, because this anti-reform movement has acquired the proper tools to undo any kind of change outside the House,” Gyurcsány said, referring to continuous threats of referenda from Fidesz that aim to overturn bills earlier approved by the Parliament.
Minority government
According to the PM, the government has to find a “very delicate balance” between those who want more radical reforms, and those who don’t accept change of any kind, to explore which of the necessary changes have at least the minimum support of society.
“It’s much better to accomplish moderate reforms than to fail with radical ones,” he said, in a comment on SzDSz insistence on its original reform program.
Speaking of the obvious difficulties of a minority government (most analysts believe it will be virtually impossible to run a minority government in the current Hungarian political environment), he said he was ready to resign whenever the coalition parties could agree on a new program that is, at least, as committed to reform as he says he has been.
“In this case, this will be a new program of a new government, and the two parties should decide whether they want me or someone else to lead this government. My person will never be a barrier to a change like that,” Gyurcsány promised.
Asked about the possibility of going to the country early, the PM said, “The problem with early elections is that we have no idea what the program of the opposition parties would be.”
According to the PM, Fidesz had gained all its popularity in the past two years from anti-reform phrases.
“Making way for an anti-reform movement in the current situation would be a great irresponsibility on our part, and Fidesz could only initiate reforms in this situation if it completely turned around, which is the same thing they have accused the MSzP of in the last two years.
Cards on the table
“The basic condition to an early election would be everybody laying their cards on the table,” Gyurcsány concluded.
Replying to a question from right-leaning news channel HírTV on whether he supported an “expert government” led by central bank boss András Simor, who suggested a radical cut of public spending in a recent article, the premier asked: “Do you seriously think that a Ft2 trillion ($12bn) cut in public spending would have majority support in today’s Parliament?”
He suggested the journalist asked Fidesz about that proposal, because he was definite the Socialist party would never support a program of that kind.
“That amount is a whole year of pension,” Gyurcsány explained, saying that government reforms aimed to save 2-3% of this amount, and even that was blocked by the opposition.
“Whenever Fidesz is ready to back a proposal of cutting public spending, I personally guarantee that the Socialist Party will be there in support,” he said.