RFE/RL NEWSLINE
Vol. 1, No. 5, 7 April 1997

HUNGARIANS FARMERS' LEADER THREATENS TO
ATTACK PARLIAMENT. Gyula Kosa, leader of the farmers'
union Metesz, told a rally at Tomorkeny on 5 April that if
necessary, "farmers will demonstrate in front of the
parliament, break doors down with axes, and clear out the riff-
raff,' MTI reported. Agricultural workers have recently staged
demonstrations against a law increasing their income and
social security taxes. Meanwhile in Budapest, several
thousand people demonstrated on 4 April in support of Agnes
Maczo Nagy of the Independent Smallholders' Party, who has
been criticized for making anti-Semitic remarks in the
parliament. The demonstration was organized by
ultranationalists.

NEW HUNGARIAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF. Prime Minister
Gyula Horn  has appointed Jozsef Szasz as director-general of
the Intelligence Office, the Hungarian media reported on 4
April. Laszlo Komjathy is Szasz's deputy. Both men have
worked for more than 20 years in the intelligence services.

SLOVENIA PRESSES FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP. President
Milan Kucan met recently  with outgoing NATO commander
Gen. George Joulwan and Turkish President Suleyman
Demirel. Slovenia wants to be in the first group of East
European countries to join the Atlantic alliance in order to
further distance itself  from the other former Yugoslav
republics. The Slovenian defense minister hosted his Italian
and Hungarian counterparts on Friday to discuss future joint
exercises. But a recent poll shows that only 42% of the
Slovenian population backs NATO membership, while 73% do
not want Slovenian troops going to crisis areas under any
circumstances, RFE/RL said.

TRANSYLVANIAN UNIVERSITY TO BE RESTRUCTURED.
The Romanian-Hungarian-German committee of the Babes-
Bolyay University in Cluj has recommended setting up
departments offering instruction in each of the three
languages, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. The decision
is to be implemented after necessary amendments to the
education law have been made. Bishop Laszlo Tokes, honorary
chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania
(UDMR), has criticized both UDMR chairman Bela Marko and
Premier Victor Ciorbea for breaking their promise to set up a
separate Hungarian university. Marko said the problem has to
be solved within the larger context of amending the education
law and the law on local administration.

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                          Copyright (c) 1997 RFE/RL, Inc.
                                All rights reserved.
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE
Vol. 1, No. 6, 8 April 1997

HUNGARIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS NO DEAL SOON ON
NATO FIGHTERS. Gyorgy Keleti has said once again that
Hungary will not be rushed into buying NATO-compatible
fighter aircraft, Reuters reported yesterday. He was speaking
at a joint news conference in Budapest with visiting Swedish
Defense Minister Bjorn von Sydow. Keleti said Hungary will
wait to see if NATO offers it membership before it decides on
buying the aircraft. Meanwhile, President Arpad Goncz is in
Argentina, where he and his Argentinean counterpart, Saul
Menem, opened a Hungarian-Argentinean business forum.

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                          Copyright (c) 1997 RFE/RL, Inc.
                                All rights reserved.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------