Hungary Moves Left
Events in Hungary appear to be moving broadly in accordance with the Russian plan. The important speech delivered by M. Dinnyes, M. Nagy's successor as Prime Minister, at Debreczen on Sunday outlined a reasonably moderate programme, but pressure from the Left is likely to be heavy and effective ; M. Dinnyes' own Smallholders' Party has been moving steadily in that direction. The Prime Minister referred complacently to elements which had been expelled from his party ; stated that new elections (for which there is, in fact, not the slightest warrant) would be necessary, but that though the parties of the Left would avoid fighting one another there would be no question of a single list ; that there would be a new election law but that it would differ little from that of 1945 ; that while the big estates had been broken up there was no intention of starting collective farms. Since then the Three-Year-Plan Bill has been carried and will come into effect on August 1st. It puts all property of any kind, State, municipal and private, including that of foreigners, at the disposal of the State Planning Board, which would appear to create, or make possible the creation of, a regime of State Socialism as far-reaching as that in Russia ; the banks, of course, have already been nationalised. The Planning Bill was carried in . the face of vigorous, not to say violent, protest from M. Sulyok and his Freedom Party, which represents the breakaway Right Wing of the Small- holders' Party. M. Sulyok's courav in his denunciation of Small- holders and Communists is striking, considering the consequences it might be expected to provoke, but there can be little doubt in the existing circumstances that the new elections which are expected in September, with a Russian army still in occupation, will see the Communists and Social Democrats substantially strengthened at the expense of the Smallholders in spite of the latter's leftward move. Control of the Press and the police will decide the issue.
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