Hungary’s Prime Minister admits lying to get re-elected

Protestors called for the resignation of Hungary’s prime minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, when a Hungarian radio station broadcast a tape recording of a meeting between Gyurcsany and his fellow Socialist MPs. The tape recording reveals the Prime Minister admitting that he lied to the Hungarian voters in order to secure his re-election. And it’s pretty clear that he has no illusions about what he’s and his “boneheaded” government has done.

There is not much choice (regarding his draconian economic policies). There is not, because we screwed up. Not a little, a lot. No European country has done something as boneheaded as we have.

Evidently, we lied throughout the last year-and-a-half, two years. It was totally clear that what we are saying is not true.

We lied in the morning, we lied in the evening.

You cannot quote any significant government measure we can be proud of, other than at the end we managed to bring the government back from the brink. Nothing. If we have to give account to the country about what we did for four years, then what do we say?

And how did he keep the economy from falling completely off the deep end?

divine providence, the abundance of cash in the world economy and hundreds of tricks

During the election campaign, Gyurscany claimed that Hungary’s budget deficit would be about 4.7% of the Gross Domestic Product. In fact, it was closer to 10%, and the PM knew the 4.7 figure was a lie. He also acknowledged that a law introducing tax cuts was a mistake.

So far, he is refusing to resign.