By Ted Torgerson (co-Designer of 1989 Dawn of Freedom)
In the foreground of this picture is Imre Pozsgay, and just behind him is Miklos Nemeth. Together with Reszo Nyers, Pozsgay and Nemeth pushed aside the old guard Janos Kadar loyalists and introduced multiparty democracy in Hungary. More so than in other countries, in Hungary the Communist SPs represent willing support of the people for the reform Communists.
After the revolutions the Communist Parties splintered into factions and adopted new names. In Hungary the Hungarian Socialist Party was formed to replace the HSWP in October 1989. The HSP adopted a social democratic platform, but advocated first for privatization and the establishment of a market system. The main difference between the HSP and the opposition Hungarian Democratic Forum was a strong element of nationalism in the MDF. The MDF dominated the first free elections in Hungary in the spring of 1990, but the HSP would return to power in the elections of 1994.
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