The Hungarian government does not expect that the IMF will be returning to Budapest for discussions this year. Instead, writes the daily Népszabadság, its prime minister Viktor Orban is preparing for a sharp dispute with the European Commission over the Excessive Deficit Procedure. The EC will release its Autumn Forecast on November 7, which sets out its analysis of the macroeconomic situation of EU member states. Hungary is not expected to fare well in the report.
As cited by portfolio.hu, the daily Népszabadság quoted Hungary’s chief aid negotiator Mihály Varga as saying “we are once again in the clutch of foreign forces; once again a remote interest is bringing trouble on our heads.” The context of the statement is telling, as Varga reportedly said this on October 23, the day Hungarians commemorate the 1956 Hungarian uprising against the Soviet Union. He said that while “the boots of foreign soldiers are not trampling on our soil, our country is still in shackles.”
