Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány called the political charges based on the scandal ’disgraceful and shameful’ in his parliament speech saying that the former governments were culpable for the lack of revealing the crimes of the past in a correct and legitimate way. Ervin Demeter MP (Fidesz) said it was necessary to pass a law to exclude all affected people from the civil service and from the political life who participated in the work of the secret police either as agents or leaders. He said a great part of the documents had been either annihilated or taken by the help of people who were sitting in the benches of the Socialist MPs now.
The government spokesperson said the National Security Office started an investigation to make sure about the credibility of the list on internet while András Tóth, state secretary of national security said he did not know about any investigation. László Varga, former director general of the Metropolitan Archives said the list must have been manipulated and found it curious that the name of János Elbert was on the list of informers though Elbert died in 1983. János Elbert was an interpreter for Yuri Andropov, Soviet ambassador in 1956. Andropov later became head of KGB and one of the last leaders of the Soviet Union. Ottó Foky, animation film director said he became a member of the service but did not give any report while Katalin Szegvári, former television anchor turned to Premier Gyurcsány in an open letter warning him of the dangers of a foul play. Ms Szegvári called the Premier ’her personal enemy’.
Tibor Fényi, one of the founders of the Association of Free Democrats, recognized his past as a secret agent, along with Róbert Bohó, once a member of Petőfi Circle which had a great part in preparing the 1956 revolution. Iván Bába, cabinet chief of the department of foreign affairs of Fidesz said he had not cooperated in any form with the service, Béla Győri, spokesman of MIÉP, Géza Bodolay, director of the theatre in Kecskemét, Gábor Dombóvári, TV anchorman and János Gombár, former TV anchor also refuted the charges. Ferenc Szigeti, leader of the rock band Karthágó said they tried to rope him in the service but he gave no informations. Péter Antall, son of Prime Minister József Antall, and Balázs Horváth, former Minister of the Interior said the list was ’similar’ to the one Miklós Németh had given to József Antall and Árpád Göncz, first president after the change of regime. It is conspicuous that the list of informers does not contain a single name from among former Communists or present Socialists.
Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó
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