Hungarian PM vows to ride out the storm

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, said tonight that his leaked comments about lying “day and night” to the people had been meant to jolt a complacent ruling party into taking action to rescue the Hungarian economy.

Facing Hungary’s deepest crisis since the fall of communism, and visibly fatigued after hours of crisis management, Gyurcsany vowed in an interview with to ride out the storm.

The scandal erupted on Sunday when his remarks were aired in the media.

Protesters clashed with police and stormed the headquarters of Hungarian state television and about 150 people were injured in the violence, including 102 police officers, one of whom suffered serious head injuries.

Gyurcsany said the riots were “the longest and darkest night” for the country since the end of communism in 1989.

Speaking later in an austere side-room to one of his offices in parliament, Gyurcsany said his comments had been meant to drive home the need to change course from years of fiscal irresponsibility that had driven the country close to economic ruin.

“There is only one reason behind my passion – to convince my party and then the country that we have to change and that I don’t have to continue what happened in this country over the past 10 years,” he said.

In even more blunt comments on tape, he had told party members: “Reform or bust, there is nothing else. And when I say bust, I am talking about Hungary, about the Left, and I very frankly say to you, I am also talking about myself.”

Gyurcsany’s Socialist-led coalition has prescribed higher taxes and layoffs of state employees, among other painful steps, to rein in a state budget deficit expected to surpass 10% of gross domestic product this year – the largest in the European Union.

Despite the austerity measures, the 45-year-old Gyurcsany had enjoyed widespread popular support since he was elected prime minister two years ago, partly due to a charismatic leadership style unusual in a Socialist Party more used to colourless bureaucrats from the communist times.

His coalition with the Alliance of Free Democrats in April became the first Hungarian government to win re-election since the return to democracy in 1990.

The prime minister said he still enjoyed the backing of the government.

“The parties behind the government have given (my programme) full support ... and we have to go ahead,” Gyurcsany said.

He was careful not to blame the centre-right opposition parties for the rioting, saying he was weary of “adding oil to the fire.”

“I ask all the leaders of the parties to make their opinion clear,” Gyurcsany said. “It’s very important to send a message to the people that we, the politicians, are not supporting the violence but are supporting peace and calm.”

“But it’s impossible not to notice that for the past two months the opposition and its leader has been talking about using radical means to confront the government,” Gyurcsany said.

Hungary will hold nationwide municipal elections on October 1, the voters’ first opportunity to pass judgment on the government’s belt-tightening measures.

Despite the convulsion of outrage caused by his comments, Gyurcsany suggested developments could actually help his party, saying results at the polls could result in “a surprise – in either direction.”

He did not elaborate but there is speculation that after the first outbreak of fury dies down, Gyurcsany’s comments will be seen as a frank admission of wrongdoing and the need to correct it – which could help him with an electorate deeply sceptical about their politicians’ integrity.

A former communist youth leader in the late 1980s, Gyurcsany also disputed the claim by some of the protesters that their actions could be compared to Hungary’s anti-Soviet revolution of 1956.

“1956 was about our common intention to be free, having more democracy,” he said. “(This) is simple violence.”

“1956 was about the whole nation, this just about a few. The revolution is clean, something that can be admired. This is not – it’s something that has to be rejected.”