revelations that he worked for the feared Communist era espionage service, has urged America to trust him.
In an interview with BosNewsLife, Medgyessy (60) defended his activities under Communism and suggested he had nothing to do with the persecution of Christians and political dissidents. "I was a spy catcher," he told BosNewsLife in Hungary’s gothic Parliament building.
Medgyessy, who was due to meet President George W. Bush in Washington Friday, November 8, said he wanted to convince the United States that his recently elected Socialist-led Government can be trusted, despite these spy revelations.
He said his contra- intelligence work was aimed at helping Hungary to secretly join the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite opposition from the Soviet Union, by preventing "foreign spies" from obtaining state secrets.
"NO MISTAKE"
"I believe that at that time this served the interests of the country; I do not think that it was a mistake," said Medgyessy about his controversial activities while working at the Finance Ministry from 1977 to 1982.
In an apparent effort to reach reconciliation, the former Communist recently invited church leaders to play a role in his family policies and also raised the salaries of religious teachers with 50 percent. And his Socialist party made clear it had abandoned it atheist legacy and that it welcomes the role Christians can play within its ranks.
Medgyessy also said he would tell President Bush that his country wants to be a close ally of the US in this post Cold War era, and that it supports the American efforts against Iraq.
HUNGARY SUPPORTS US
He pledged Hungary would back a US-led war against Iraq, even without a United Nations resolution. "First of all let us assume that the Security Council will pass that resolution," said the prime minister. "But if not, in that case we will still strongly support the United States in their efforts."
Iraq was expected to be high on the agenda during his talks in Washington with President Bush. The meeting was scheduled two weeks before a NATO summit and amid criticism of Hungary for allegedly not keeping promises it made when it joined NATO three years ago.
Last week, the US foreign policy journal Foreign Affairs said Hungary could have been expelled from NATO for not making needed army reforms, for continuing to make territorial claims in neighbouring countries, and for refusing to send combat troops to Afghanistan.
TRUSTED ALLY
"But that was the past," under the former conservative Government, Medgyessy said. The prime minister stressed Hungary, which joined NATO in 1999, should show the world’s last remaining super power that it can be trusted.
Analysts have warned however that Medgyessy’s support for the US position on Iraq could lead to further tension with several countries of the European Union, which Hungary wants to join in 2004. Many of them oppose the American view on Iraq.
This comes as Medgyessy admits that negotiations on EU enlargement are already tough, because Hungary and other candidate states refuse to accept EU plans to initially grant their farmers only a quarter of the agricultural subsidies current members receive.
"I am convinced we will find a solution," Medgyessy told ANS, without elaborating. "A not successful enlargement of the EU, would be a failure for everyone," he added.
