Things have been tense in City Hall in recent weeks, and there is even talk of the Socialist-Free Democrat coalition falling apart. How do you explain what's happened?

First of all, this unfortunate situation is not about a conflict between the two coalition parties - there will be no consequences for mainstream politics. The problem is down to Gabor Demszky, the mayor of Budapest. It is because of him that the coalition in the capital isn't working. The two governing parties signed a coalition deal which was unanimously supported by all the members of each party group in the City Assembly, including Demszky himself. The agreement outlines the duties of the mayor's deputy for human resources and states that Erzsebet Gy. Nemeth will be that deputy. But then Demszky changed his mind, writing in a letter that he would not accept the Socialist politician as his deputy. My first thought was how irresponsible this all was, because he was creating a politically unmanageable situation.

What are the roots of the conflict? Has Demszky still not got over the fact that Nemeth stood against him in autumn 2002?

It's not that simple. You have to bear in mind that in the previous cycle, Nemeth led the MSZP group in the Assembly, and the coalition didn't work badly between 2002 and 2006. Demszky was able to work with the Socialists. Differences of opinion arose in the Assembly on occasion, but they were brought under control. Demszky himself said that he would have accepted Nemeth if she had not refused to be responsible for healthcare policy.

On 17 November, it turned out that the MSZP and the SZDSZ had different understandings of the coalition agreement. Gyula Molnar and Pal Steiner claimed the Socialists had left open the question of who would be responsible for healthcare in the new cycle, saying their party was not prepared to take responsibility for that policy area. Demszky overrode the decision of the Socialist party group, handing over responsibility for healthcare to Gy. Nemeth - and when she refused, he used that as an excuse, saying he did not trust her.

On that day, Gy. Nemeth did not even speak to the mayor. Two days later, at a meeting of the Free Democrat assembly members, we decided that the chief notary would take responsibility for healthcare and give regular reports to the mayor. By 18 November, the coalition agreement had been agreed on. Everyone expected the committee membership lists to be settled within two days and for work to start. But then Demszky stood up and said he could not work with his chosen deputy.

Why is the liberal mayor not prepared to take charge of the reform of healthcare in the capital, given that this is a government policy dreamt up by his own party, the Free Democrats?

Indeed. Demszky should support the Liberals' healthcare programme, he can't behave as if it were nothing to do with him. It's well known that the MSZP's healthcare experts are not entirely in favour of the reform programme, and the prime minister himself has often clashed with his own party's experts. In these circumstances, the support of the Liberals is essential, and I think it a serious mistake for them to entrust the Socialists with the implementation of these reforms in the capital city of all places. There are three important but sensitive policy areas in Budapest, in all of which major changes need to be brought about. The first is Budapest Transport, the second is education - and the Socialists are in charge of this. The third is healthcare, and Desmzky is not prepared to take charge of it.

Will the coalition agreement be renegotiated?

It would have been better if the Liberals had kept their distance from events, if Demszky had refrained from praising the Budapest police commissioner in public immediately after the events. The protests had to be dispersed, but police overreactions should not have been endorsed so openly. Peter Gergenyi was decorated in accordance with a motion passed earlier by the City Assembly, but we should not have given the impression that City Hall agreed with everything he had done.

There's been talk of tensions between Gyurcsany and Demszky.

Regrettably, the mayor seems unaware of the decline in his responsibility. He was the joint candidate of the two coalition parties. If he had not received MSZP support, he would not be serving as mayor for the fifth time. This has political consequences. One of these is that he cannot veto an MSZP nominee, even if the rules say that he chooses his own deputy. The prime minister has made it clear that he does not regarde the complicated situation Demszky has created as his problem. But the MSZP may yet nominate a new deputy mayor, though I don't know how they'd explain this to voters. The real question is whether trust can be re-established within the coalition so that the leadership can count on all the coalition deputies' votes. If they cannot, then they don't have a majority in City Hall.

János Pelle