The defeat suffered by the party did not result from chance occurrences, in-fighting or hostile conspiracy, but from the party itself, from eight years of governing and the state of the country, “from ourselves, and of course from me,” Gyurcsany says.

Gyurcsany sent the analysis to about 1,000 e-mail addresses Tuesday evening, to recipients who had indicated that they are ready to discuss his evaluation with him. He promised to release the full text of the evaluation on the website kapcsolat.hu.

In the first part of his assessment, Gyurcsany says the past eight years of governing served western-style modernisation. He defends the basic goals and values of the reform policy as well as the truths stated in his leaked speech at Balatonoszod.

In the second section, Gyurcsany deals with the policy and operation of the Socialist Party, calling it politically disoriented, with a weakened structure and an outdated leadership style, and declining membership.

He recommends that the party’s political profile, which he describes as confusing, be clarified, and that the party say where it stands on Hungary's great political questions.

The left wing will survive its present crisis, but the question is whether its future will be based on the present-day Socialist Party or something else, Gyurcsany remarks.

In response, outgoing party chairwoman Ildiko Lendvai said Gyurcsany's evaluation is only one opinion, a very important opinion but obviously not a summing up or closure of a debate within the party.

She said the Socialists had not pursued a cowardly policy, contrary to a comment by Gyurcsany, and had accomplished much, but its skills in public administration fell short, and the party was not clever enough to seek allies for its objectives."

Source: Hungary Around the Clock.

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