1987. szeptember (101-111. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
J ' i (WN.® ARI AH (^) o C-T Q8*R>> _ j,) > ni 24/D Little Rutsell Street, LONDONI, W.C.i • Tel. Ol-*iO 21 26 ■ G. firassé 111/1937 /S/ September 23th,1987 Conference of intellectuals in Lakitelek On Sunday, September 27th, appr. 150 Hungárián intellectuals congregated in the garden of the poet and pedagogue Sándor Lezsák’s house in Lakitelek fór a conference about the most pressing problems in Hungárián society today. The majority of those invited were intellectuals belonging to the so-called popular wing. The writer Gyula Fekete presided over the conference and Imre Pozsgay, secretary of the Peoples Patriotic Front and István Gsurka the writer made reports. The conference went on from 10 am until 7 in the evening, the participants tried to ansuer the question of hou the country can come out of its ever deepening crisis through democratisation and collective collaboration. Among the participants were Gábor Czakó and György Konrád both writers, the political scientists Mihály Bihari and Csaba Gombár, the economists Zoltán Krasznay and László' Lengyel, the sociologist András Szesztai and Sándor Püski, a publisher who lives in the United States. Many, like the engineeír Imre Mécs and the histórián Miklós Vásárhelyi, did nőt accept the invit- ation in protest against the fact that the Democratic Opposition were nőt invited to the conference. In his report Imre Pozsgay spoke of how the economic reform must resolutely continue and must be extended intő social, legal, constitutional and admin- istrative areas and to the party itself as well. István Csurka painted a very glum picture of the state of the nation today. He présséd fór comprehensive reforms nőt just economic ones. He said that we have become a dispersed nation and that intellectual and matériái aid must be given to those who have nőt yet renounced the work ethic. Gyula Fekete ,jr judged the tax reform saying that it was unprecedented that those who possess 2^% of the means of prod- uction will have to pay 20% of the taxes. Thus the big industrial lobby ensures the economic base of its power once again. Gábor Czakó who began his observation with the adress "Dear RabbitsJ" protested against "humán end*- eavours" which have been going on fór 4-0 years. In the 19th century the Hungárián nobility began to reform itself - fór example by distributing their land -,sowe can only discuss reál reforms if the present ruling eláss are willing to restrict themselves. Of the political scientists Csaba Gombár ürgéd that the existence of factions within the party be acknowledged and its plurálist natúré recognised. However Mihály Bihari emphasised that until now a reál solution to the "totál crisis" in Hungary had nőt been proposed. Many of them thought that morál regeneration was just as necessary as economic reform. Judit Vásárhelyi, librarian, directed attention to the fate of refügess from Transylvania, who are hiding in Hungary. Sándor Puski said he would publish the conference minutes in the United States. The conference, in which a umber of young intellectuals spoke and in which the president of the County Council was alsó present, ended with the adoption of a collective aeclaration and a decision to establish a "national democrat fórum". According to reliable sources in Budapest Karoly Grósz, the prime min- ister, has intimatea that he wished to negotiate with representatives of the populist writers.
