1987. Különkiadvány, 1987.10.01 / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
- Let the interest-representing organizations vith public-law status have prerogatives in the senBe that the State must negotiate vith them and must •eek their concurrence in specified matters, and that in other specified matters the agreements betveen them and the State become enforceable regulations. This does nőt exclude the possibility that asBociations or federations vith civil-lav status might vin fór themselves the right to participate in the consultations and to have their vetos taken intő account. The mechanisms of consultation and joint decision must be devised ao that any interest-representing organization can be plugged intő them. 4. Social Security, Equitable Social Welfare Folicy The present crisis is nőt merely an economic and political one, fór there is alsó a social crisis. The trouble stems in part from stresses of the regime's social velfare policy that have been accumulating fór a long time, and in part from social velfare policy's inability to cope vith the név social problems caused by the economy's decline. 4.1 Chronic Problems and Acute Crisis Official social velfare policy has rested fór decades on tvo basic principles. One is knovn as "our fudamental socialist achievement6." Kadar and his associates realized the Stalinist ideál of the "planned velfare economy" that Lakosi and his associates had merely declared: full employment based on extensive industrialization; universal free health care; universal free education; a system fór the allocation of houBing; and uniform right to a pension fór practically everyone. And they alsó retained government price subsidies fór basic necessities.- The guaranteeing of "socialist achievements" vas interlinked vith the dogma that the régimé automatically solves all social problems, and universal employment and a system of universal benefits make social velfare policy superfluous.- Another dogma that accompanied the realization of "socialist achievements" vas that vork is the only acceptable source of income. Bence the benefits provided by the State are usually tied to the condition of being employed (fór example: the family allovance, child-care pay, child-care allovance, and lump-sum maternity grant). Since consolidation, the other basic principle of official social velfare policy has been "consensus." Carefully loosening from time to time the economic and political screvs, the pover structure alloved various groups, vho othervise might have grumbled, to pursue their personal ambitions. In addition to the party cadres, benefits vere bestoved alsó upon the civilservice intellectuals (including the chief executives of large enterprises). And the backdoor to eaming income in the second economy vas opened fór the blue-collar vorkers and peasants. The policy of "consensus" did nőt provide room fór organized representation of interests. Instead, the institutions of public administration began to mediate betveen the interests of their ovn 4 I
