Turbulent political events characterise Hungary in these days. On Sunday, 17 October a confidential speech by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany was leaked and published on the Internet. It was a speech made by the Prime Minister on a meeting with the PM-s of the Hungarian Socialist Party in May 2006. He explained why he considers necessary to realise radical reforms in Hungary. He used many dirty profane words in his speech, and confessed that the government lied to the Hungarian people in the recent years, did not tell people the truth about the situation of Hungary. The publication of this material and the fact that the Prime Minister fooled the people led to immediate mass protests.

On Monday, 18 September more and more people demonstrated in front of the Hungarian Parliament demanding the Prime Minister's resignation. By the evening the number of people was about 10 thousands. Most of the orators criticised the government and began to demand a new 1956, a new reckoning with Communists. (By using this word, the demonstrators usually meant the actual Hungarian Socialist Party and not our party).

The same evening a part of demonstrators went to the Hungarian State Television and wanted to publish their declarations. The Hungarian police did not allow them to enter the building of the TV. The police used water-cannons and teargas-grenades. In late evening the demonstrators began to assault the TV-building, and after heavy conflicts they seized it after midnight. It was liberated by the police some hours later. In the casualties about 200 people were wounded, most of them policemen, the material losses are very high.

The demonstrators seriously damaged the monument of Soviet heroes in front of the TV building.

The Presidium of the Hungarian Communist Workers' Party analysed the situation and accepted the following estimation:

1. Hungary is in deep constitutional and political crisis. The main reason of the crisis is the policy of the leading Hungarian Socialist Party and its partner, the Party of Free Democrats. As all of you know, the Hungarian Socialist Party won the parliamentary elections in April 2006 and formed a coalitional government with the Party of Free Democrats. The new government headed by Ferenc Gyurcsany continued the neoliberal policy of the former government and introduced a program of radical economic and political reforms. This reform-package is nothing more than a program of capitalist rationalisation. The government wants - with the aim of this package - to fulfil the so-called Maastricht criteria and to introduce in Hungary the EURO. This program means higher prices, higher taxes, payment for medical services, obligatory fee for university education etc. Millions of people have every day difficulties. Majority of people begin to realise just now what neoliberalism means and it lead to serious rise of dissatisfactions. At the same time people feel they are disoriented and even manipulated, and they do not have real possibility to influence the political decisions.
2. The majority of the people went on the streets these days to protest against the neoliberal policy and violation by the Prime Minister of elementary norms of political moral.
3. The anti-governmental demonstration does not mean revolution. It means that people do not want any more lies and manipulations, and they are against a policy which takes away everything from the poor. There have not been forces with the aim to change the capitalist system.
4. Some radical right forces and even extremists used the mass dissatisfaction of people for their own political and personal aims.
5. The Hungarian Communist Workers' Party considers that only real solution is the resignation of the Prime Minister. At the same we demand the convocation of a new national assembly to accept a new constitution.
6. The HCWP condemns the use of force and demands the government to guarantee security of all citizens.

Sep 20, 2006

Presidium Hungarian Communist Workers' Party