"In Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány rejected a call from Democratic Forum chairwoman Ibolya Dávid to seek a vote of confidence. Gyurcsány did not directly address the question in his reply, instead focussing on a new phase of governing.He said 2008 will be a year of peaceful turnaround, in which nurseries, kindergartens and motorways will be built and schools will be renovated.
Five new ministers were sworn in at the start of Monday’s session: Pál Szabó for Infrastructure, Energy and Transport; Tamás Székely in Health; Erika Szűcs for Labour and Social Affairs; Imre Szabó for Environment and Communications; and Károly Molnár as minister without portfolio for science policy.
Only the Socialists supported the new cabinet structure in a debate in Parliament Monday evening. Fidesz, the Christian Democrats, the Democratic Forum and the newly oppositional Free Democrats were against it.
Fidesz caucus leader Tibor Navracsics said in his contribution that credibility, predictability and stability are missing in Hungary’s policies, and this is the only EU country which cannot meet the Maastricht criteria.
The government has no platform, he said, as the coalition has collapsed. “What you have failed to accomplish in a majority, will not succeed in a minority,” he declared.
Calling for national consensus, Navracsics said the Prime Minister himself is an obstacle to that.
Gyurcsány spoke about a rise in pensions in the past six years and in the purchasing power of average incomes. Opposition MPs followed his remarks with loud laughter.
Free Democrat chairman János Kóka said his party will support all proposals that serve an upswing of the economy and help solve the problems of the economy. He again called for tax cuts. No one responded on the part of the government, but Fidesz MPs gave him a round of applause."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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06.05.2008