Hungary: Spinning

The strange world of Hungarian politics

THE Socialist-led Hungarian government badly needs a spin-doctor. Its support is wilting as voters turn right. Polls give the opposition Fidesz over 50% support, with the Socialists on 32%. Kremlinesque endorsements by the party for the prime minister, Peter Medgyessy (not himself a party member), fuel rumours of plots against him. And aftershocks of the forint crisis in January still reverberate.

It is an odd moment for the Socialists to part ways with their Israeli public-relations supremo, Ron Werber, credited by Laszlo Kovacs, then party chairman, with winning the 2002 election. Mr Werber, a former communications chief at Israel's Labour Party, signed up for Hungary's Socialists after steering Romania's Socialists to victory in 2000. But he resigned when he found that Mr Medgyessy's office was courting two Washington-based lobbying firms. These firms will provide opinion research and advice until May 31st, for 14.5m forints ($70,000) apiece.

Lobbyists and consultants are a new development in central Europe's youthful democracies. The brave but unphotogenic dissidents who led the revolutions in 1989 have been shunted aside by pushy, smooth-talking pollsters and consultants. Their arrival is scant reward for Mr Werber, who dragged the Socialists' local branches, many mere ossified remnants of the former communist party, into the 21st century, teaching officials to speak in short, clear sentences.

Mr Medgyessy's officials deny that Mr Werber's departure and the American lobbyists' arrival are linked. They point out that Mr Werber was contracted to the party, but the Americans work directly for the prime minister. Anyway, Mr Werber may be lured back to run the Socialists' European campaign in June.

Relations between Mr Medgyessy and the party have, however, deteriorated. His bizarre suggestion that all four parliamentary parties (the Socialists and Free Democrats in government, Fidesz and the Democratic Forum in opposition) should field a joint list in the June elections, carving up Hungary's 24 seats between them, did not help. Fidesz dismissed it as a cover for the Socialists' poor showing.

Perhaps the Socialists should recruit Anettka Feher, a television presenter, for excitement. She appeared naked on screen to launch her European campaign, but is unlikely to win a seat for her Union Party.

Article considers Hungarian politics.

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