Hungary's PM Resigns with Honor

The incredible silence one heard in Budapest on Saturday was sparked by the surprise resignation of the Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, of the ruling Socialists. At the party's annual congress, he announced he was quitting to fulfill a pledge he made in January 2008. He vowed to change the leadership of the party if the party's popularity didn't improve. It hasn't, and he kept his word. Mr. Gyurscany is a hero.

The Socialists had led a coalition government up until May 2008, when their partner left due to dissatisfaction with Mr. Gyurcsany's reform agenda. Since then, they have governed as a minority government. With the economy expected to shrink by 5% this year, with the currency under pressure from foreign-lack-of-investment, and with interest rates stuck where they are to protect the currency, the Socialists aren't very popular.

Mr. Gyurcsany said, “Support for us has not grown. On the contrary, it has diminished. I propose forming a new government with a new prime minister.” He added, “I'm being told that I myself am the obstacle to the cooperation and stable government majority needed to implement changes.”

That is not to say that he's out of politics. Shortly after he quit, the party re-elected him as its chairman. He got over 80% of the votes. As chairman, he has the authority under party rules to heavily influence the selection of the next Prime Minister. Parliament would then need to ratify that choice, and this is where it gets tricky because the Socialists would need to secure more than a few votes from the opposition and independents.

The right of center Fidesz party has already said it won't back anyone the Socialists choose, preferring to dissolve parliament and hold new elections. In a statement, Fidesz said, “The Socialist government is the country's disgrace, and early elections are in the country's interest.”

Some analysts familiar with the situation believe this could all be a ploy to strengthen Mr. Gyurcsany's position by proving there is no alternative to his leadership in the Socialist Party. It wouldn't be the first time a politician had pulled this stunt. And perhaps that is exactly what Mr. Gyurcsany is doing. Nevertheless, he promised to quit if the party's position didn't improve; it hasn't, so he has resigned. If he can retain his grip on the greasy pole, well then, he's a political animal to be reckoned with. For now, though, he's coming off more like a statesman than anything else.

© Copyright 2009 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

Kensington Review Home