Former Premier Tempted by Presidency, Booze, Cigs

Hungary's upcoming presidential election was thrown for a loop yesterday when former Prime Minister Gyula Horn said he had been "thinking over" whether to throw his hat in the ring, assuming anyone asked him to throw it in. Horn (left, enjoying a fag in happier days) is best remembered for his stint as foreign minister in the last years of Communist rule, and for his premiership during 1994-1998, when the country suffered through a painful economic hangover resulting from a quick withdrawal from massive deficit spending. And also for being an unapologetic dipsomaniac who spent much of his time in office drunk as a lord.

In an interview on InfoRadio, Horn said he had gotten "hints" from members of the current, socialist-led government that they might be interested in nominating him for the largely-ceremonial post, which is filled through an election by members of Parliament. But according to a report today on state broadcaster MTV's website, several unnamed Socialists politicians said the talk about nominating Horn was just a ruse to increase support for their preferred candidate, Katalin Szili, who would be seen as a "lesser evil."

That the trial balloon involving Horn may just be a trick to get people to swallow Szili is also suggested by the Socialists' liberal coalition partners repeated assertions that they don't want a party person in the job, and Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) president István Hiller's claim that he would prefer to see a woman elected. The MSZP is expected to announce its nominee on April 15th, and MPs will cast their votes in early June.

While we are generally of the opinion that old commies like Horn should be prevented from ever again pulling the levers of power, we'd be lying if we didn't admit to feeling a bit of fondness for the old sot, who slurred his way through countless press conferences while in office. After all, the job of a ceremonial president is mostly to throw cocktail parties and dinners, and who is better qualified to throw a cocktail party than a drunk? As even moderate overdrinking is being banished from polite society across Europe and the world, Horn could turn out to be an invaluable champion for all of us barflies, or at least a breath of fresh air. Well, except for all that cigarette smoke…