© Túry Gergely

The family name does not suggest strong left-wing associations, though he claims to know little about his father's side of the family. But he does have an elite background. He attended a well-regarded Buda primary school and the Apáczai Gimnázium in central Pest. And he has some self-regard: "I was the only first-year to be elected into the Students' Union." He was already interested in politics at 16: "I read Marx and Gramsci, I felt that their world view was closest to mine." So it was a short step into the Left-wing Youth Association and thence into the Socialist Party, although he also found time to study political science and communication in the Budapest annex of Western Maryland College.

- Your family name is redolent of an aristocratic past. With your three languages and your cultivated exterior you aren't the typical picture of a left-wing youth agitator. How did it happen? How did you end up at these American colleges?

- It wasn't easy. I finished high school and then looked around. There weren't many places where I could study international politics as I wanted to. I didn't have the money to study abroad, but I could get into the American college's Budapest annex. I thought it would be a good launch pad.

- But your studies at a private American college in Vienna can't have been cheap. Tens of thousands of dollars?

- Of course, but I'm not giving a precise figure.

- It wasn't public money, so that's ok. But we watched your first TV interview, and we didn't see much evidence of American TV interview techniques there. You said just as little as the average well-brought-up youth leader...

- I try to speak at an appropriate level. There are ways to inspire young people other than shouting in public. You can say what you want without losing control, and people won't necessarily think you're stupid. I've got several years of experience, I've worked in various places. I know the difference between working and treading water.

- And can you say how landed a job in Péter Medgyessy's campaign team straight after finishing university in Vienna? Was that a family project?

- My mother gave Mr. Medgyessy's secretary my phone number... I'd been in touch with the PM twice before, when he was just the leader of the party's economic policy team.

- And then your name got into the national press: confidential documents concerning the party's campaign strategy were stolen from your parked car. Why weren't you sidelined at once?

- Everyone makes mistakes. I should have been more careful. I learned from it. I never leave anything in the car nowadays.

- That's commendable. And how did it affect you to learn of Medgyessy's past shortly after he took office? Did your world fall apart? Or did it just strengthen your resolve and loyalty?

- Neither. We had so much work the I didn't have time to conduct a moral assessment. The story broke, and we just started looking for solutions. There was no time to reflect on how to deal with this personally. I thought about it subsequently, and accepted Medgyessy's explanation. I continue to think him a good person.

- And the change of PMs? That was unexpected, too. You had no idea?

- If the danger wasn't apparent to my wisest and most experienced colleagues, then I, the youngest of them, can hardly be held responsible. But that's a simplification. I felt that some things weren't going well. But I also saw that this wasn't just Medgyessy's fault. So I sensed the dangers, but not in time.

- You surely know one thing: a few months later, the new PM nominated you president of the youth wing. How did he do that?

- The PM had no say in the workings of the Young Left. I've known Gyurcsány since the time of the 2002 campaign. It was a great experience to work with him. He has incredible intellectual abilities.