1988. 1988.05.10. Interjú Kádár Jánossal / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2

Hungary? This is what I have observed. Forty thousand gave up their cards because they are dissatisfied with the pace of political reform. Eight thousand — ten thousand marched on March 15 crying "Democratization Now — Freedom.'' You were a inember of the socialist youth league. It's called KISZ. Today, 10 percent of less than that perhaps, of university students are members of KISZ, and it used to be, when you were a young mán, 95 percent were members of KISZ. What is the status, therefore, of the socialist party here in Hungary? Is it sick?

KADAR: The leading role of the Hungárián Socialist

Workers Party is in effect in the country. There are certain phenomena. The clarification of reality is a requirement fór mutual understanding. You mentioned here in connection with March 15, the demonstration of 6,000, or whatever number of thousand people. In Hungary, March 15 was celebrated by millions of people, bút the Western press didn't say one single word about this. They photographed and wrote about a crowd of a few thousand people who gathered spontaneously as if nothing else had happened in the country. There have alsó been instances in which party members returned their party membership cards, bút 800,000 people have insisted on retaining their party membership, they do nőt want to give it up. Mutual appropriate information is a part of accurately judging the reál situation.

MCLAUGHILN: Do you feel that there could be a second

Socialist party in Hungary?

KADAR: I cannot see intő the future. In order to be

able to see how socialist pluralism will develop in a later stage of our development, I would have to be a prophet. In my opinion the question of the development of socialist pluralism •• in individuaJL socialist countries is on the agenda. What

organizational forms this will take in the future, I cannot

say. At the moment, we are occupied with problems, within the Party as well, such as guaranteeing that the minority opinion does nőt disappear intő thin air, bút that before a decision is made, that opinion is alsó communicated to the

organizations which make decisions. As far as society is concerned, the Party has been attempting to guarantee the

widest ranging consultation on very important matters before it makes a decision. At the moment, the plans fór the Party conference's draft document are being discussed by millions of people in Hungary, and the results of these discussionw will be gathered and evaluated. This is the kind of path on which we want to be leaders. What fórra all this will take in the future, no one can say today.

MCLAUGHLIN: Are you saying in principle that you have no objection in tht future to the emergence of a second socialist

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