1989. január (1-18. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
^ <cki»nsarm«(§)october» j | I fefSjf ”-5 (gffllL Editor: György Krassó • 24/D Little Russell Street « London. WC1A 2HN • Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126) E 1/1989 (E) lst Januaiy, 1989 What Does the Future Hold? The country is in an economic crisis and it cannot even pay the interest on the foreign national debt. Nothing vili happen unless there are radical changes. According to a 200 page report compiled by the Economigt’s research group "all that glitters is nőt gold". Hungárián economic policy is inadequate, the fiscal "regulators "enforce central planning, the lobbies representing deficit enterprises recieve various privileges, the big companies are controlled by the state and are unable to compete in the world markét. The biggest investments, increasing the capacity of the Paks nuclear power plánt and the Boa-Nagymaros dam, make economic nonsense bút construction still goes on. According to the report all reform meas- ures aay be followed by a backward step and Hungárián citizens vili be unable to subsist on their vages. The Economist writes that both Western and Hungárián enterpreneurs will profit by the present economic policy. What it omits to say is that the majority of the population sübsists oh wages or pensions and that the small priváté firms, be- cause of new tax laws, will alsó suffer. At best, people would be compensated by freedom of apeech, information and association. í There are about 200 independent groups operating in the country and somé of their demands such as an end to the Party’s monopoly of power and the calling of free _ ... elections are more than just simple desires fór reform. However these groups -con- . .............I sist mainly of intellectuals, the workers have nőt yet come intő the aréna and no Hungárián Walesa has come forvard. The majority are afraid of two things: "tuming the clock back" and an "explosion". These two phrases are much in use, the first signifies a retum to police violence and the second a revolution, even today no-one dares call it by its proper name. A complete retum to the old methods is nőt possible as the génié which was uncorked in 88 could only be bottled up by bringing in the tanks and that would lead to an "explosion". Revolutions do nőt necessarily mean fights, bloodshed and civil war. One English paper writes that the revolution has already begun in Hungary bút the West has nőt yet noticed. Bloody revolutions will only be started by the ^arty which is weaken- ed, has no programme and whose leaders use violence in their struggle to maintain power. This time the scenario will probably be different. In this third éra of communism which follows the gibbet, the AVC (Stalinist secret police) terror and an absolutist monarchy the leadership will try to divide democratic forces with delaying í tnctics, manipulation and corruption; they will try to divert public attention with minor details. They will allow the operation of the "populista", "urbanists", the social democrats and the small holders. They will assume a role in which they appear to maintain social peace, balance interests and even press fór democratic transformation. The task of the peoples forces will be to create unity, struggle fór freedom and independence and to fight to free the country from the yoke of Party state power which burdens the Hungárián nation. 4 Subscribers can use or quole the Hungárián Oetober newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
