The Free Democrats’ caucus and party executive are asking the party’s most senior body, the national council, to support Gordon Bajnai’s nomination to become Hungary’s next prime minister, chairman Gábor Fodor announced late on Sunday night.
The liberal party’s governing council voted 13-4 in favour of the incumbent economy minister succeeding Ferenc Gyurcsány as premier, state news agency MTI reported in the early hours of Monday morning.
In an impromptu speech earlier in the evening, Bajnai said “patriotism” had motivated him to accept the commission, adding that “urgent crisis management is needed”, and that he intends to establish a cabinet to this end.
Bajnai, 41, outlined his platform aimed at cutting state spending by a further Ft 200 billion by abolishing the 13th-month pension and tightening conditions for child care allowances.
PMO leader and deputy party chairman Péter Kiss had announced earlier on Sunday evening that Bajnai was now the Socialist Party’s official candidate for prime minister.
Bajnai left the Free Democrat headquarters at around 11.30pm, saying he “hoped to know the final result tonight,” after emerging as the main hope of uniting the parties and averting the ever growing threat of early elections, which may have seen the liberals fail to reach the 5% threshold to enter Parliament.
The Free Democrats’ approval may end a week-long political deadlock, during which the two former coalition partners have struggled to come up with a replacement to Gyurcsány, who on March 21 announced that he would step aside as premier in early April.
“Hungary cannot afford to be incapable of action for long months on end. Due to both its domestic and international standing, Hungary must have a competent government,” Fodor said, adding that his party has been assured that non-partisan experts will receive most of the ministerial posts in the next government.
The Free Democrat bodies held meetings both on Saturday and Sunday: the first assessed the state of Hungary’s economy, while last night’s decided on whether to back Bajnai, who, website index notes, was acceptable to the liberals because his plans for the economy virtually match those of the Reform Alliance group, which were supported by Fodor’s party.
If he becomes premier, Bajnai would next year slash state spending on benefits and pensions by Ft 600 billion, according to the website of Magyar Nemzet. Meanwhile gas subsidies, family allowances and state housing construction subsidies would all cease, and family allowance to mothers would be paid for one year, rather than the present two, the right-wing daily’s news portal adds.
Magyar Nemzet on Saturday had quoted a source close to the Socialist leadership as saying Gyurcsány has a secret plan to make Economy Minister Gordon Bajnai premier.
Gyurcsány resigned his party chairman’s post on Saturday and recommended that either Agriculture Minister József Gráf or Bajnai take up the position.
Gyurcsány had warned that if Gráf became prime minister, “two power centres would develop (within the party) and this would not be a good outcome. If Bajnai became prime minister and I had remained as chairman, no one would believe that this had not been arranged in advance,” he added.
Gráf rejected the proposal after learning from journalists that his name had been put forward.
On Friday the Free Democrats’ executive body voted down the Socialist Party nominee János Takács, who is CEO of Electrolux, for the post of prime minister, as he was not considered “a charismatic enough figure” by the liberal party.
Another prime ministerial contender who had emerged last week, former Socialist economy minister Lajos Bokros, who oversaw an eponymous austerity package in the mid-nineties, later said he did not want to become “a pawn in the Socialists’ struggle for power”.
I never vote for the left, nor can I vote in Hungary but is Bajnai wants to slash the 13 month and 2 year family allowances, he would have my vote. Next he’d need to lay off some of those public administrate people and reform the corrupt vat receipt system, that would be a pretty good start.
@C’est moi
You mean the 13th month what? the pension? You mean the two
years “allowance” the birth aid or what? Knowing the system here
(at least the part you talk about) would help…
Btw. I’d revise and postpond all the social benefits and pensions for
the time being on “our” side and on “yours” I would revise all the
privatisation made by the west bending post-commies, anull all
tax allowances and statern support for any foreign investment and
enterprises, place extra tax on foreign companies, and all foreign
products having Made in Hungary eqvivalent should be moved to
the Luxury VAT basket. This cut back would even save more than
the social cutbacks…
No Robi, I was speaking about the other “13th month” mentioned in the article and the “family allowances” from some article written in Chew. As for the rest of what you have written, I will wait for someone else to decode whatever it was your wrote there.
C’est moi,
At least finally I’ve got what you mean the “13″ is the netto of
the salary of the mother but max 100.000.- the two year is max
30.000.-
I’d be interrested for an instance as a single mother how would
you manage to pay a rent, feed a baby and yourself for even a
year out of 130.000.-/month…
But ok, let’s say cut back on that and pentions, but on the other
hand in the last twenty years western enterprises were sucking
our blood and and it’s costs more than social expenses and they
should be shake down, as the Mongols, Turks, Habsburgs an the
Soviet. Ok, we just hardly recovering from the Soviet opression
and the west sneaked in but do not make deep roots here… I
hope you can decode it!
@Robi: There is nothing wrong with being a nationalist who wants to prevent the cultural integrity of his country from being compromised by too much outside influence. But this idea that somehow Hungary is economically worse off because of the foreign investment of the last 20 years is just idiotic. If it wasn’t for the multinationals the average Hungarian pensioner would be living on potato soup, and instead of wasting your afternoon writing comments on blogs about foreign bloodsuckers you’d be watching re-runs of Inspector Rex on a 1983 black-and-white Videoton SuperStar wondering if there are enough pit-swipes left on your stick of Fabulon deodorant to last until Summer.
@
Ok, I’ll argue with you in your way: if you think that we gained
anything letting the multies in than you wrong. And your being a
liberal taging to easy as idiotic and natzi…
Let’ you know that during the communist those families like mine,
who stayed away from politics but had connection and business
sense could live like you’d never imagine. we never had Videoton
TV, but those people who had already had to sell it to buy that
potato soup what most pensioners it’s now in Hungary thanks for
your multies robbing Hungary… and this generally downlooking
pose why most people hates you western advantage takers in
Hungary!
@Robi: Aha – I should have figured you’d talk about the glory days before the “evil” multis showed up. Well, just consider that one big reason Hungary was relatively affluent during the late Kadar era was loans from the West. Now, I wouldn’t deny that there are cases in which countries have been worse off because of foreign investment. But it is very hard to credibly argue that Hungary is one of these cases. If anything, foreign investors have been the big losers. But again, this question of what contributes to economic prosperity is unrelated to these other issues relating to cultural or ethnic “pollution” from outside – and on these a foreigner-hater has a much stronger case. If you booted out all the foreigners and stopped trading with the rest of the world, Hungary would instantly become “more Hungarian.” But it would also be economically much poorer.
@Eric
I’m more than tired to argue with spoiled to rotten western
people who’s only reason to stay in the country is economic,
what is no surprise the only value I’ve seen in western culture is
money, and spreading the democracy is usually just a lame
excuse to colonize or simply brutally occupie other countries…
If you would not realised Hungary is very close to a civil war now
and for an instance if the west would not support these folks
(giving them loans just name the latest) they would been trhown
out of power by now. I’m not a big fan of Fidesz but anybody
would run these country better than this. I think an election
could solve it… Do not forget that nobody voted for Gyurcsany,
he just danced into the picture after the elections! Actually I
would not vote to any of the parties now on the palette, but
majority of People would, and this three year of depression of
waiting the these socialist to get rid off, would come to an and!
But of course it’s against your crucial interrest, so tag me natzi
or whatever you used to! Who cares we’ll fight against you till
our last shed of blood, and having Hungary back for the
Hungarians means that I have to sacrifice my B&O tv set, or
Gucci glasses that’s worth it…
@Robi. I always find it strange that there’s this need to pidgeon-hole everybody. It would be okay with me if you at least had a handle on what sounds mature and what sounds, well, childish. I’d like to help you out here. “Commies” is what 10 year-old kids who grew up in the 50′s and 60′s used to insult each other. I think you’ll find your audience is more receptive if you lay off the “labelling” procedure – unless you adhere to the strict “truth in labelling” laws.
I can see a lot of places to save money, but honestly the 13th month pensions and civil service payroll are not among them. Doing away with this will just reduce the amount of income that these people rely on. Both groups should have received pay rises, but the administration was trying to appear as tough on inflation and not giving payrises. So cutting away this payment is equivalent to selective deflation and a punishment for 2 undeserving groups.
The child allowance is a cruel joke. Seemingly an incentive to mathematically (and I guess economically) challenged people. On the other hand, if one decides to have kids then raising children requires responsiblity. A fairer system would be tax reductions rather than cash handouts; and a better system of childcare for those that cannot surving on a single income and/or cannot afford too much time off and are financially challenged.
However, all of this is simply moving about the deck chairs.
Continued….
The real crux of the problem is that HU has wasted years (and not just MSzP but Fidesz too) executing policies to attract and consume foreign capital rather than attract so as to create capital.
Effectively the country borrowed huge sums simply to trade property and /or buy foreign products; and didn’t develop an ethos or system that rewarded anybody for developing businesses that in turn would generate jobs & capital. Like the adage applied to Africa about feed an African and he’s happy for a day, teach him to farm better and he’s happy for life. Here, the policy promoted a night out of fine dining.
The evidence to support my supposition is all around. To start a business is risky and yet rather than encouraging such HU punishes people who start companies. I’ve mentioned before about the punitive policy on going bankrupt, inability to take a company dormant, rules that one MUST work for ones company and therefore pay taxes even in startup mode; the high interest rates on HUF working capital, the endless need to find ways to keep employees affordable when there’s hardly any income.
These laws which come from domestic (not foreign) politicians are what make HU so much more dependent upon the multi’s.
As to buying HU; I suggest we start off with petrol and work backwards from there.
@Rolrox
if you are so keen on proper forms than you could RESPECT the
coutry that hosts you! And if you do not like Pidgeon-Hole
everybody than set an egsample! You could reffer Hungary as
Hungary for a start. …
@Roldex – “if you are so keen on proper forms than you could RESPECT the coutry that hosts you! ” I think he means that while you’re in Hungary STFU about Hungarian problems. Additionally it was I, not Robi who stated doing away with the 13th month was a good idea. I understand your point and don’t disagree, I just think, and the same holds true for those stupid meal vouchers, give employees the money as part of their pay. Before anyone points out that this leads to getting a tax hit, I think this should be reworked. Really, is there anything more silly than this pay and tax system of hoops and tricks?
Rolrox is right, spot-on. To set up a business here “rendesen” requires Lawyers. And Accountants. Why? Sure – lawyers and accountants when you have “something to report.” But to set up ?
Even to set up an NGO requires a Court Order. FFS!
That word Nem …
If Robi could only point to A Better Hungarian Way then fine. But I suspect he can only suggest the future as a pre-war agrarian loopback. Thats the period when Hungarians left their lives of peasantry in droves for the New World.
I’m sure the results would be a far tastier potato soup.
I completely agree with Rolrox. And I completely agree with C’est moi. These ridiculous food vouchers and üdelési csekk, are so popular because the tax rates are so high. It would be clearly better to abolish them, and lower the taxes.
For the 13th month pension too, spread it over the other 12 months. But I don’t think the public service’s 13 month should be spread out. That should be abolished and half of them fired (especailly at a local government level), and for the amount of paperwork required for everyone to set up or do anything should also be markedly reduced, so there is no need for all those public servants.
My 2 fillér’s worth.
How about bring afa receipts into the 21st century by making them electronic with a swipe card. Make a purchase for the company, just swipe the card. Never need to stand in line for 10 minutes while the CBA drone finds the afa book to write up the 200ft milk someone has purchased for the office. If all the afa receipts were electronic there should be much less blackmarket BS, right?
@Robi – I’ve read your posts since last year, and I find you dont seem to understand economic issues very well.
I’d like to recommend that you read a book – The Economic Way of Thinking by Paul Heyne. This is one of the best books in Economics written to help people understand economics without going too much into graphs and mathematics. I think you’ll benefit from this, and you’ll better understand Rolrox’s post. This is the one book I hand-carried when I came here, and my students all felt it should have been required reading for their Economics course.
You don’t need no stinkin’ books to understand economics. Watch this brief online video tutorial and you’ll know everything you need to know.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/
@Stan – Absolutely right! Video tutorials for even simpler minds.
@Rob – Watch the tutorials. You’ll understand why you need Gucci sunglasses & B&O tvs, or why Stan shops at Ikea.
Empty words UJ, that’s all! Like a Galah! this is what your resources is promoting, Actions speak louder, this article sums up the political crisis of lead by the Capitalists, leave it up to the reader to decide instead of your ridiculing mannerism, give them the free will they were born with! Not your mind controlled International Globalism!!
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12955
Robi?
You’re not also using DR Who as a log in are you?
Beacase your words have the familiar ring of those I saw waving flags in Heroes Square the other weekend…
Dr Who also believes that all Hungarys problems are down to other people and that Hungaru wouldn’t be in this mess if everybody just left them alone???
If you’re one of the many that chooses believe the version of Hungarian History that show Hungary as the Standard bearer of everything that’s Just, Courageous, Pure of Heart and let’s not forget Righteous… I do indeed pity you.
A failiure to accept the True History of Hungary is a key element to it’s failiure to move into the 18th Century!!
I’m 100% FOR National Pride.
But Only Appropriatly. When we have something to be proud of that happened withing the last 100 years, perhaps we can start to hold our heads higher than we do currently.
None of us can surely believe that Hungary invented eveything in the World and that aside from the financial mess we are in nowm we can claim to have the Finest Economists in the known World.
I don’t believe it and that $16 BILLION DOLLAR Loan would seem to suggest that perhaps it’s not the case??????
@Sandy- Thanks for the link, comrade.
Folks,
I see the only way of talking to you is to except your opininon
without any critics… If that the wetern kind of democracy than,
no thanks!
Btw, me perosnally do not give a shit about national pride and I
also knows the slavic versions of History and aware that the
truth may lay somwhere in beetween. The pint is each nation
writes their own history. There is no history as a fact it’s rather
called “history writing” becouse it’s always on the winners side.
If you look trough history it was always about nations wioe out
others and taking their land and and the only thing what justify
is power. Limiting wetern influence, sending home western
managers are not esential becouse they evil by nature, but it’s
becouse they do not know local circumstances and their crucial
interrest to stuff thier pockets and transfer as much profit as
possible out of the country. That’s what happened in the last 20
year of agressive wetern colinization and we don’t want it… And
that’s my opinion and I rather share it with you becouse I think
it is more effective than shouting stupid things on the streets
but of course you can tag me anything I’m used to that from so
called liberals…
@C’est. Yes those AFA receipts are all together useless. Worse yet, try getting somebody to write down the name and address exactly right. If it’s slightly off, APEH rejects the invoice. I personally got stung with over 1,2M HUF in invoices because of this b/s. Whats wrong with just the dang chit?
And then I got a fine ontop of it.
If you think we are all Liberals….
Your problems run deeper than I had imagined???
With regard to History and Historical facts, Hungary has cosen to write an overall picture of its history that shows it as the persecuted party and accepts no responsibility for itself for almost as long as any right-minded people can remember.
Nobody outside Hungary buys into that Bullshit so the longer the lies are held up as truth inside Hungary, the louder the laughing everywhere else will be.
Facts are facts and Hungary has to to try and accept them as such.
The time for Denial is long past.
The tolerance of those outside Hungary that would still help, is fast dissapearing?
Hungary has to realize that the Paymasters are all outside Hungary and that the money that is needed to bale us out can never be repaid in 100 lifetimes..
So a little reality checking might be in order for those that still choose to live in Fantasyland.