Gertrude Enderle-Burcel, Dieter Stiefel, Alice Teichova (Hrsg.): Sonderband 9. „Zarte Bande” – Österreich und die europäischen planwirtschaftlichen Länder / „Delicate Relationships” – Austria and Europe’s Planned Economies (2006)
Ágnes Pogány: The Changing Image of the Economie Role of Austria in Hungarian Public Discourse
Agnes Pogâny The missing national independence was considered to be the most important consequence of the colonial status.10 11 Some of the authors call the economic situation of Hungary semi-colonial after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. Although the semi-colonial status left more space for development, the economic structure became seriously disproportionate because of the interests of Austrian industry." The Colony-Metaphor was dominant in the period 1947-1965. Hungarian economic policy that was based on autarchy was reflected in the use of this concept. In spite of the ideology of the 1950s which favoured national self-sufficiency, the role of foreign trade increased year by year. Forced industrialization which did not take into account the lack of basic raw materials in Hungary made the economy increasingly dependent on imports. The industrialization programme was based on cheap and unrestricted raw material imports from the COMECON countries. Huge investments, forced collectivisation and the transformation of the former economic structure increased demand for imports on a large scale.12 * These could not always be met by COMECON deliveries, and the increased imports were to be financed by growing exports. From 1963-64, Hungary began to borrow long-term credits in Western Europe in order to get up to date technology." An opening toward the Western countries became badly needed, although at first this was possible only with neutral countries. Jânos Kâdâr differentiated between neutral (non imperialist) and imperialist countries already in 1957 concerning possible new partners for Hungarian foreign policy, although at that time Hungary faced complete isolation as a consequence of the brutal oppression of the 1956 uprising.14 According to the new concept of peaceful coexistence, it became possible to co-operate with neutral countries, while with members of NATO it was possible only exceptionally.15 Jânos Kâdâr made his first attempts to carry through an own foreign policy by the middle of the 1960s. He was convinced that economic cultural and personal contacts between countries of different social systems would 10 Tolnai: A paraszti szövö-fonöipar, p 10. Mérei, Gyula: Magyar iparfejlôdés 1790-1848. (Hungarian Industrial Development 1790-1848). Budapest, 1951 p. VII 11 Berend - R ân k i : Magyarorszàg gyâripara az. imperializmus, p. 8-10. 12 Petô - Szakâcs : A hazai gazdasâg négy évtizedének tôrténete, p 651-652. " Ruft'. Mihàly: Üj helyzet, ûj feladatok a magyar külpolitikàban, 1963-64-ben. (New Situation, New Duties in Hungarian Foreign Policy, 1963-1964). In: Mùltunk, 44 (2001) Nb. 4. p. 3-39. here p. 34. 14 Feldes, György: Kâdâr Jânos külpolitikai nézetei (1957-1967). (The Views of Jânos Kâdâr on Foreign Policy, 1957-1967). In: Pritz, Pâl - Sipos, Balâzs - Zeidler, Miklôs (eds ): Magyarorszàg helye a 20. szäzadi Eurôpâban. Tanulmânyok. (The Place of Hungary in 20th Century Europe. Essays). Budapest, 2002. p. 135-146. herep. 139. 15 R u f f : Ûj helyzet, ùj feladatok, p. 9. 228
