1988. 1988.05.10. Interjú Kádár Jánossal / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
fi «H^Ne<«RlAI)í(£)oeTOBEB.V J 1 Sfl2ffl£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London. WC1A2HN » Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 1 Oth May, 1988 Interview with János Kádár The interview was made by John McLaughlin on 25th April, 1 988. Somé details were used on 30th Aprii in the U.S. television program "McLaughlin Group" and then, on 8th May, 30 minutes were broadcast in program "One on One" of NBC national U.S. television network. 47 minutes of the originally 90 min. interview was used in the Hungárián program of "Voice of America" rádió station on the same day and then the official Hungárián TV and rádió gave ample details of it as well. MCLAUGHLIN: . Secretary Kadar, welcome to the program. The perestroika and the glasnost now obtaining in the Soviet Union were begun by you. You were the pioneer. Many people think that Gorbachev is using Hungary as a model fór the Soviet experience of reform. Do you think he is? KADAR: I wouldn't express myself this way. We started on a road out of necessity. We changed many things in comparison to our earlier practice, bút we always added that what we were doing was nőt a model. Now, as you know, a significant process has begun in the Soviet Union that has become known throughout the world under the names of perestroika and glasnost. In connection with these, Gorbachev himself often emphasizes that what they do is nőt the model that is to be followed. [Thus this is] how the two sides [i.e., Hungary and the Soviet Union] judge the situation. On the other hand, both we and First Secretary Gorbachev have emphasized that all the socialist countries are mutually interested in paying attention to, getting to know, and to understand each others experiences, and to use them substantively in their own contexts. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think that Secretary Gorbachev can learn from the Hungárián experience? Are there any lessons Mr. Gorbachev can learn from the Hungárián experience? KADAR: I do believe that there are such experiences. He himself has emphasized this. When he first sat down to talk to me in his capacity as First Secretary, I told him that I must speak about a longer process in order fór him to be able to understand and to follow our present day policies. He told me to proceed. I said on a number of occasions that I wanted to stop, that is interrupt, the description of our affairs, bút then he said that I should continue since these are nőt only Hungárián affairs, these are the problems of socialism, that is that *he relates them this way. MCLAUGHLIN: If he is using to somé extent Hungary as a model fór the Soviet Union, what does he think of the current status of markét socialism here now? You have come a long way, bút you have problems. You have an inflation rate of 15
