'He who wants to conquer a mountain must first suffer' said the Hungarian PM in his interview with the German daily, Die Welt.
Translation of the whole German article below:
Die Welt:
You have been elected by your party (MSZP) as chairman winning 89% of the votes - does this mean that you are backed to continue the reforms?
Gyurcsány:
It is a big support for me. This means that there is no alternative to the reforms. There are lots of debates inside the party, but at the end of the day they say OK let's continue, let's do it.
Die Welt:
In his New Year's speech the Head of State [László Sólyom] said that as a result of last fall's riots the country is split into two camps (a Gyurcsány and an Orbán camp). What do you plan to do against this division?
Gyurcsány:
I have recently written an article in the Hungarian daily, 'Nepszabadsag', where I write about the importance of understanding and appreciating the other side. I have been criticized for this by my supporters. I think we could defeat this schism or division by building a bridge. The pillars of this bridge ought to be be self-criticism, and the understanding of one another. I myself am building these pillars, but I don't see the other side joining in. Nevertheless, I will continue building these pillars; I won't give up.
Die Welt:
Lots of people believe that with the financial burdens brought by these reforms they have to endure even more. Shouldn't you slow down?
Gyurcsány:
In the past eight years the income's purchase value in Hungary has grown by about 50%. This year the purchase value and consumption will plummet somewhat. Naturally, that is painful in a country where the average pension is around 200 Euro, and the average income after taxes is 500 Euro. But there is no alternative because of the budget. All of the concessions that we made were against the advice of the experts: not lowering the pensions and raising family-support accordingly with the inflation rate. In addition, the budget for improving higher-education increased. Next year there will not be any more reduction on earnings. More is not possible.
Die Welt:
You are planning a health care reform in April, if the Parliament votes in favor. How expensive would that be for Hungarians?
Gyurcsány:
On the part of health care reform we have already decided. Capacities will be rebuilt and we have already came up with the solution on how medical services can be improved upon. These services were free until now. When someone had a stomach ache, he or she could go to 20 doctors or check ups and nobody could ask why or how. We thought that this had to be regulated. So now one has to pay a little more then one Euro [1,20] for a visit to the doctor. This is not a comfortable reform, but there are no further decisions affecting the patients directly. The building of a security system has to have a positive outcome for the patients.
WELT:
You argued that you had to implement drastic reforms because nothing was done about it for several years. The Socialists have a joint guilt in the explosion of the deficit, as your predecessor, Péter Medgyessi was heavily involved. Was your 'Lie-speech' aiming at him?
Gyurcsány:
First of all, the 'Lie-speech' was a Truth-speech. What I simply said was that we haven't told the truth since the 1990s. But not the about the details, the budget- but rather about the essence of the Whole. We created the illusion that progress, or headway can be made without any effort. Viktor Orbán [the leader of FIDESZ, ex-PM], Péter Medgyessy [ex-Socialist PM] and Ferenc Gyurcsány, we all haven't made any reforms between 1998 and 2006. We explained that there is no need of reform. What I said in my speech was that this cannot continue. It was a passionate private monologue to my fellow party members, and it naturally sounds very different when interpretted one-sidedly in public.
Die Welt:
Your plan now is to remain strong and wait one year before the elections when the positive effects of the reforms kick in so that you may be reelected. Do you think the Hungarians are this forgetful?
Gyurcsany:
No, but they will realize that their investment has payed off. If you want to conquer a mountain you must first suffer; you can only see the outcome in the end. If you slip off when you are half way up then everything was for nothing. If we will be successful in 2010 that will not mean people forgot about their investment, they will just evaluate it differently.
Die Welt:
Have you thought in the last few months about resigning?
Gyurcsány:
No, never. Not even for a second.
Die Welt:
You have said that you are envious of Austria and Germany for their grand coalition. Is this your goal in Hungary?
Gyurcsány:
We need a lot of time for such a government model to develop in Hungary. In Germany and Austria it is not common for Ms. Merkel and Mr. Beck, or Mr. Gusenbauer and Mr. Schüssel to call each other treasonous. There is a flaw in Hungary where both parties cannot accept that the other is trying everything in its power to achieve the best for the country. This attitude is asymmetric though: in 2002 when [the national conservative] FIDESZ lost the elections the situation was not like it is today. Then the outgoing PM and Chairman of FIDESZ [Viktor Orbán] said that it cannot be that the 'Fatherland is in opposition'! Thus, he put an equal-sign between his party and the country and at the same time asserted that we stand outside of the nation.
Die Welt:
Some political scientists believe that the high tension could only cease if both you and Mr. Orbán would pull out of politics. If he would act accordingly, would you also?
Gyurcsány:
I would have done just that last weekend had the party decided that way. This is the interpretation of Mr. Orbán who has to understand that he is not the Master of life and death, heaven and earth. And if he would decide to step down, who do you think would lead the political right? Political puppets who would act out his orders.
You can read the original German language article here:
http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article745984/Wer_einen_Berg_erobern_will_muss_zuerst_leiden.html
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