re-election, won a vote of confidence after apologizing to parliament for the dire state of the country’s economic situation.
Shortly after the vote demonstrations broke out. Accompanied by a popular Hungarian song about how beautiful the world could be, Viktor Orban, leader of Hungary’s largest center right opposition party Fidesz, was introduced to tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators.
Fidesz leader Orban told his supporters, many waving Hungarian flags, that in his view the world would be beautiful without the current prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.
He appeared frustrated that moments earlier the parliament’s chairwoman announced that 207 deputies voted for and 165 against the Hungarian Prime Minister Gyurcsany. It was a major boost for 45-year-old politician, who has been fighting for his political survival since last month, when a recording of a controversial speech from May was leaked to media.
In the profanity laced remarks during a closed meeting to his Socialist deputies he said his government "lied morning, night and evening" about the economy, to win re-election in April. Speaking on Friday in the crowded parliament building in Budapest, Gyurcsany said he wanted to apologize for his Socialist-led government’s failure to in his words "confront an unsustainable policy" and for lulling voters into believing that the country’s problems would solve themselves.
"PASSIONATE STYLE"
He also apologized for what he called his "raw and passionate style," of speaking in his May speech. Gyurcsany denied he knowingly lied to the voters, saying the term he used was meant to urge his government to end the postponement of painful reforms. Gyurcsany said efforts by Fidesz, to unseat him with large anti-government protests were inappropriate.
"After finishing this vote of confidence, we have to see how to solve Hungary’s problems," he said. But he added, "We have to it here and not on Lajos Kossuth Square," in front of the parliament building."
Orban took little heed of that on Friday evening as he addressed the anti-government rally. He urged his supporters to gather every day from five till six in the evening until the prime minister stepped down. Orban has been encouraged by Sunday’s municipal elections as his party won in almost all major cities and provincial assemblies. In his words, "Sunday’s election showed that people want change…"
A REFERENDUM
He believes the outcome was as much a referendum on the government and its unpopular austerity measures of cutting expenditures and tax hikes, which are aimed at reducing Hungary’s budget deficit, the highest within the European Union. Fidesz has described the ruling coalition as "illegitimate" and Orban has called for the creation of a government of technocrats.
Although Prime Minister Gyurcsany survived Friday’s vote of confidence, analysts have warned that with protestors on the streets, Hungary could face political instability for some time to come. Church leaders, some of whom suffered under Communism, as well as the current Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom, have spoken of a “moral crisis” in Hungary, a predominantly Catholic nation.
The country has seen weeks of protests, including riots in which hundreds were injured, the worst street violence since the collapse of Communism.
