"The cabinet has completed a considerable portion of its tasks during its 75 days in office, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said in an interview with Népszabadság on Thursday, following the successful passing of his cabinet’s measures in Parliament on Monday.Bajnai paid tribute to the Socialist Party and the liberals for “rising above their party interests to make tough decisions.” He added, however, that he does not think of himself as “a terminator” nor that his actions as prime minister are only about instigating unpleasant measures.
Bajnai said he hopes not only that the crisis will be halted, but also that the cabinet will initiate changes on which the next cabinet, no matter who will run it, can build when the economy starts to grow again.
He said he cannot imagine Fidesz really meaning its threats and revoking all the present cabinet measures it if takes power “as that would be absurd”. He added that if Fidesz made good on its pledges and tried to swing the country over the crisis by encouraging consumption, the budget deficit would soar to 10%, “which would constitute a collapse in itself”.
In an interview with the economic weekly HVG, Bajnai said “very essential decisions need to be made in the next six to nine months: a sum of over Ft 100 billion will have to be saved in local and national public administration and long distance public transport for Hungary to keep its budget in balance next year, so that sustainable economic growth can be observed.”
He also stressed that “the country should be put in order and handed over to the next cabinet in better shape,” and expressed hopes that “voters will give a positive verdict” on the parties that support his cabinet."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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03.07.2009