By Michael Logan Feb 2, 2007, 16:50 GMT
Budapest - Anti-government protestors on Friday once again faced off against police in Hungary after MPs from the main right- wing opposition party tore down a barricade around parliament designed to prevent such a confrontation.
Fidesz MPs early Friday morning emerged en-masse from parliament and dismantled the metal fence that has been in place around Kossuth Square since rioting and anti-government protests last October.
Around 150 MPs, including party leader and former prime minister Viktor Orban, took part in the action. Police did not intervene as the MPs, many dressed suits, carried away sections of metal fencing.
Fidesz has repeatedly said that the fence was a violation of people's right to democratic assembly and earlier in the week the party called on Justice Minister Jozsef Petretei to order it removed.
'We were patient, but the moment arrived when the MPs had to set an example for democracy if no one else was going to,' Orban told journalists in Kossuth Square after removing the barriers.
He added that he considered it sad that they had to 'defend democracy' in such a way 17 years after the changeover from communism.
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, whose admission that he lied to the nation over the state of the economy sparked protests and riots that saw hundreds injured last September and October, immediately condemned the action.
In a reflection of Orban's words, he said that MPs had to be very careful what they do as their actions could easily set an example.
He added that the removal of the cordon was a matter for the police to deal with and called on MPs and ordinary Hungarians not to break the law.
However, Fidesz representatives rejected any suggestions they had acted illegally.
'We don't think we've committed a crime,' Fidesz Euro MP Jozsef Szajer told Hír TV. 'But we will accept all responsibility and won't hide behind parliamentary immunity.'
Szajer said that action was merely 'civil disobedience', but a constitutional lawyer rejected this claim and said that it was a criminal offence.
Gabor Halmai told index.hu that the police cordon, although technically not really necessary, was lawful.
The smaller right-wing party, the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), attacked Fidesz for taking radical action.
'The MDF believes in lawfully opposing the government's mistaken politics,' it said in a statement. 'Fidesz today has knocked down a fence but built a wall between lawful solutions and aggressive politics.'
Analysts warned that Fidesz, who earlier unsuccessfully attempted to use mass rallies to oust Gyurcsany, were playing with fire with the latest move.
'The removal of the barricade might have good reasons behind it, as in a democracy it is not normal to have a barricade around parliament, but it is a high-risk strategy,' Krisztian Szabados, the director of the Political Capital Institute told Deutsche Presse Agentur dpa.
'The risk is that extremist Fidesz supporters are gathering and may want to repeat previous violent actions,' he continued. 'Fidesz would have to take the blame.'
Anti-government protestors began to return to the square within an hour of the surprise action, and their numbers swelled throughout the day as riot police rebuilt the cordon.
Many of the protestors, some waving the nationalist-linked Arpad Stripes flag, were the same people that camped outside parliament during earlier protests prior to the erection of the cordon.
A spokesman for one of the protest groups, in a statement sent to MTI news agency, announced that the protestors would begin a spring campaign, and hailed the Fidesz action as an 'historic example.'
The rebuilding of the fence could lead to further problems, as Fidesz has warned that any attempt to put the cordon back in place would be met with similar action.
'If they put the fence back up again tomorrow, Fidesz will tear it down again,' the party said in statement.
Many analysts had expected a resumption of anti-government protests on March 15 - a national holiday marking the 1848 revolt against Austrian rule - but the action by Fidesz prompted some to comment that protests could well begin in earnest again.
However, Szabados said that political protests and more violence could well help the government.
In the background of the public anger are austerity measures aimed at reducing Hungary's soaring budget deficit.
The measures focus on tax increases, energy hikes and cutbacks in state subsidies and public sector jobs.
Public sector trade unions, state railway employees and electricity workers have all announced strikes over the cuts.
Szabados said that these protests, which would cause the government more damage, could be marginalized by renewed violence.
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