Main focus of Monday, March 23, 2009

Hungary's prime minister announces his resignation

Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány has announced his resignation at a conference of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). The move comes in response to his government's poor showing in the polls and to criticism of its handling of the economic and financial crisis, which has hit Hungary particularly hard.

Sme - Slovakia

Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány is a "brilliant political strategist", the liberal daily Sme writes. "It is only this that has enabled him to maintain his position for so long. Now he has admitted that after the great loss of confidence he can no longer see a way of promoting development from that position. He has failed to implement even one of the reforms he once bound up with his fate. He even failed to find quick measures to help Hungary out of the current crisis. He confessed to being powerless and only able to watch helplessly while everything moves towards a catastrophic defeat for his party in the regular elections this spring and his own definitive departure from the political scene. In the present situation announcing his resignation … is the best possible move he could make." (23/03/2009)

» full article (external link, Slovak)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Hungary
All available articles from » Peter Morvay

Magyar Nemzet - Hungary

The anti-government daily Magyar Nemzet sees Ferenc Gyurcsány's resignation announcement as a political tactic. "A big step for Ferenc Gyurcsány; a small step for Hungary. The boss of the Left has taken us by surprise once again and announced his resignation. But there's a catch: he has made sure that he is among those to select a new head of government - after all he was re-elected by a large majority as the leader of the Socialists. Thus Gyurcsány is leaving and making a comeback at the same time. The reason for this is simple: Ferenc Gyurcsány wants to abandon the sinking ship of the Socialist government yet preserve as much influence as possible for the future. … What we are seeing here is therefore nothing more than a dirty political trick. … How long are we going to put up with this?" (23/03/2009)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Hungary
All available articles from » Szabolcs Szerető

Népszava - Hungary

Zsold Gréczy, chief advisor to Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, explains in the left-wing daily Népszava why the prime minister has decided to step down. "I can say that he did not take the decision lightly. It was preceded by weeks of intensive, often painful reflection and deliberation. ... Ferenc Gyurcsány finally concluded that the Hungarian Left is in danger. The never-ending radical attacks of the right-wing conservative opposition have so battered the Left that the prime minister saw himself forced to act - ultimately he was the major target of the opposition's attacks. ... The prime minister also considered that the conflicting demands of the unions and the economists cannot be reconciled. Ferenc Gyurcsány saw no way out of this baneful situation and has consequently decided that enough is enough." (23/03/2009)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Hungary
All available articles from » Zsolt Gréczy

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany

"Hungary needs someone to steer it out of the crisis," the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes. "Officially the culprits have been pinpointed: the eternally grumbling people along with the power-hungry politicians, and everyone's desire to live beyond their means. The beneficiaries of this policy are those who encouraged and exploited this unwarranted and excessive consumption for their own purposes. Foreign banks gave temptingly cheap loans in foreign currency, which following the devaluation of the forint threaten to smother Hungarians; and above all Western European chain stores profited from this disproportionate consumption. The new head of government will no doubt be one of those economic experts who justify all this by saying it's all down to the laws of the market. But even sinking the state budget and salaries won't remedy the political deficits of Hungary's post-communist model." (23/03/2009)

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Hungary, » Europe
All available articles from » Georg Paul Hefty

» To the complete press review of Monday, March 23, 2009