wow...

[paisley]

heard this taped statement by Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany on the CBC last night and couldn't believe my ears... even moreso by the claims that Ferenc was "relieved" it had finally become public

an except:

"We screwed up. Not a little, a lot," Gyurcsany was heard saying. "No European country has done something as boneheaded as we have."

The prime minister also told colleagues the government needed to end its duplicitous ways.

"I almost died when for a year and a half we had to pretend we were governing. Instead, we lied morning, evening and night. I don't want to do this anymore," he told his fellow Socialists.

The 45-year-old Gyurcsany, his party's golden boy since he was elected prime minister in late 2002, said the economy had been kept afloat only through "divine providence, the abundance of cash in the world economy and hundreds of tricks."

Confronted with initial excerpts of the 25-minute recording, which Hungarian state radio posted on its Web site Sunday, Gyurcsany not only acknowledged their authenticity but seemed relieved they had been made public _ leading to speculation that the leak came from sources close to him.

"It deflates pent-up tensions regarding the reforms and ... can be used to support the government's position that they are urgent and inevitable," said political analyst Zoltan Kiszelly.

Others said the leak was an attempt _ which may have misfired _ by Gyurcsany's Socialist rivals to block his aspirations to become party chairman.

"In the long term, I think Gyurcsany's words will have a stabilizing, cathartic effect, both politically and economically," said political commentator Laszlo Seres. "At least to his own voters, Gyurcsany can argue that he shouldn't be punished for his sincerity _ that he said these things to stop the lies."

Gyurcsany appeared on two live television shows Sunday night, trying to turn the focus of the debate away from his government and into a wider discussion about the failings of Hungary's political elite since the 1990 end of communism.

He also defended his foul language, saying it had been used in the context of a meeting of friends and colleagues and that he was proud of his "passionate speech."

"The real issue in Hungarian politics today is not who lied and when, but who is able to put an end to this ... who can face up to the lies and half-truths of the past 16 years," Gyurcsany wrote in a Sunday night entry of his blog, introducing a lengthy transcript of his May speech.

"The lies are the sins of the whole Hungarian political elite."

so are the Liberals still shoppin round for a new party leader? count my vote in for the honest Hungarian guy

(he's apperently also a great shmoozer when desperately required, out-of-country investment dollars are available to be had)

[paisley]