HUNGARY: Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany refused to step down yesterday, defying rioters whom he condemned for plunging the nation into its "longest, darkest night" since the collapse of communism.
At least 150 people were hurt overnight on Monday when protesters clashed with police and besieged the headquarters of state television in a vain bid to broadcast a demand for Mr Gyurcsany's resignation after he admitted lying about the economy to win re-election in April.
Programmes were forced off-air early yesterday morning before police reinforcements with tear gas and water cannon restored order on stately Freedom Square, which the television centre shares with the US embassy and central bank.
Inside the station walls were daubed with anti-Gyurcsany slogans and offices were ransacked, while outside seven cars were set alight and eight others were smashed, along with many of the windows in the historic building.
Mr Gyurcsany (44), a former communist youth leader who made a fortune from the privatisations of the 1990s, enraged opponents by acknowledging on a leaked recording of a party meeting that the government "lied day and night" to win a second term in office by covering up the scale of the budget deficit and the cutbacks needed to shrink it. "You can't show me any significant government measure that we can be proud of," he said on the tape, adding that unpopular reforms like fees for tuition and healthcare were now unavoidable. "There is not much choice, because we screwed up. Not a little - a lot. No European country has done something as boneheaded as we have." The expletive-riddled rant prompted immediate street protests and calls for his resignation when it was aired on Sunday, but the premier vowed to stay in power and said he was proud of the leaked speech because it showed his passion for reform.
"I spent three minutes on Sunday night thinking about whether I should step down . . . and the conclusion I came to is that absolutely not," Mr Gyurcsany said yesterday.
"I'm extremely committed to fulfilling my programme, fiscal adjustments and reforms. I know it's very difficult for the people, but it's the only direction for Hungary." Several hundred peaceful protesters gathered outside the heavily guarded parliament yesterday.
"Tomorrow, twice as many people will come - nothing like this has happened since 1956," said one protester, referring to Hungarians' failed uprising against Soviet rule, which will be commemorated next month.
That anti-communist revolt began when students besieged Budapest's radio station, a move echoed on Monday night at the television centre, where some protesters chanted "56, 56!" and various nationalist slogans.
But as he surveyed the damage at his station, senior news producer Attila Kert refused to compare the fighters of 1956 with the "rabble" that he confronted.
"Their demands were a joke - something like: Gyurcsany out; new elections; glory to Greater Hungary and promotion for their favourite football club," said Mr Kert (35). "They were a drunken, disorganised mess, nothing but hooligans."