25/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the European Commission decision on Hungary' s excessive budgetary deficit, expected on 26 September, Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gurcsany has again said, in an interview in Le Monde of 23 September, “If I have to bring our deficit below 3% of GNP, it is not because Brussels has asked us to do so. It is because our people have not saved enough, leading to a deficit in the balance of payments and liabilities that could become dangerous”. The Prime Minister, who is holding on to his position although demonstrators continue to call for his resignation for having “lied” to the electorate (see EUROPE 9270), admitted, “I can be legitimately blamed for one thing: the tax relief system was not well thought out. We need to reform, but not because of Brussels. (…) We need to reform to reach two parallel objectives: competitiveness and justice. We have succeeded in making this country fairer, there has been a significant drop in poverty. Social differences have lessened a little since we came to power. But the price has been the budget deficit which is increasing and our competitiveness which isn't good enough”. On a more general level, he said his country had gained from accession to the EU, noting, “The farmers who are still protesting tell us their situation is better than it was five years ago. For me, the EU does not mean money. It's about getting people to embrace the culture of freedom and responsibility. There will be money for seven or eight years, but we will still be European after that”. Mr Gurcsany concluded that the problem was that “most countries in Eastern Europe are living under an illusion. People are expecting happiness to come from the State and not from what they themselves do. That is Central Europe's main debate”.