SULYOK AND THE FREEDOM PARTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R000200090003-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 23, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 13, 1946
• Content Type: IR

n cis prord For Rase 1999/09/08
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COUIvIRY Hungary
TRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP
INTELL9 'a C REPORT
SUBJECT & yok and the Freedom 'arts
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PAGES
3 December 1946
SUPPLEMENT
When in .ay, urge : the pressure of the Radical, Bloc. De s5
Sul yok and ton others of t~xo I .epert-lent Small Holders Party
were expelled from the party., Uulyok applied to the ACC for
per.rnission to organize a new party under the ~ : ,=>te of the
Szabadsag (Freedom) Party. General Sviri.dov requested Prime
Minister Nagy to ascertain whether the government or the then
existing democratic parties had any objection. Upon receiving
Wag-i's answer to the cs ntrai y, he wrote the - Pri Minister a
letter stating the absence of these objections. At the same
t o$ Radio Moscow and ,? the offic .aI Ht ~~ vigr.-t.an paper o
Red Array, announced that 'Sulyok had treceived "pe ? P .scion" from
iiC to organize his party. 5ulyok went ahead with his new
party and In his first speech as its pr?sideat said that 1i ce'
gary should so nage? her aPi that is another calamity
should occur she would be able to remain neutral, The Russians
were disp .eased., When they learned that Cardinal ti .n, 3szent '
had congratul tam Sulyok and had had several conferences with
himq Sulyok was summoned to appear before a Major Beleyov and--Was
told that Sviridov had merely acknowledged Nagy's information
but had not granted permission for organizing a new party.
Sulyok answered that in the face of the announcements by Radio
Moscow and _;, - the publication of this new attitude would
put the Russians in an awwward positiorn, "and rr~ ~, :steel permission
to keep it a secret a tie did kee o it sY cret but kept his parts,
going. He was invited recently to a banquet held in honor of
some Russian officers and was deco t;^d 'b .= president Zolt .n
7i]-fly as h "Pi esident of the Freedom Party'. Recently Sviri=ry
d.vv unofficza?.1y indicated that he now has no objection to the
existence of the party.
,ard1raal M .izadszenty., having failed to orga?aizo his Christian
Party., has approached Sulyok. several times, offering him his
full and open support but has refused to comply with $ulyok's
request that in that case he should refrain from making poli-
tical statements or speeches in the future. $ulyok'-s party is
considered the e:tre rice right party in parliament o and while
Sulyok himself is a progressive democrat, two-thirds or the
members of the party are reactIonaries, Sulyok Vows this
and Is very unhappy about his flock; but having been expelled
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 Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000200090003-1
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CENTRAL INTELLI(IENICR GROUP
with them from the }r all holders Party, he felt he could not
ab^_nc on them when he for ed his nyz pa'ty.
3. Heretofore a man comparatively unknown otxts~cio of Buda ae^st,
ho htts become one or the most pox)>4cir men in Vic' countryo
Durjns the P e?ascnt Convention h.elc in Budapest in. s ptemb r
tTith about 2Q0,000 peasants attending %Sulyok received. the
b .ggost ovation except for A nc dean 4: nistcr 3ehpenfel d o a c
fa - bi 7ger thajt F'rime LFinistor I agy, ;=ind most certil.nly
bi ?acr than President Tildv0 " rie ..a been requested several
tit-,os by influential amall Holders -?>- rith tho know ed&e of
the Pr ine i 7inis ter to accept a go-rtfollo in the cabinet.
But he will not take any
post unless his paDtv is accept
as a full mc.mber of the coalition. He seems to believe, and
possibly correctlyy that if county and municipal elections
are kbold$ his party will shcavi a su `F.rising stre the Irre`
spective of the outcome of such elections suly is a co.r-
power .n Hungarian politics and some indications were made
that if he vrltk,stands the o hers of t indszenty, his gro ,rah
will not be opposed by the Russians who realize that if his
r-ex#ty grows it will be at the expense of the small holders.
R ulyok still believes that within five years Russia Will
realize the hopelessness of her 'case in Hungary, and will
gracefully withdraw her efforts at penetration unless the
international tension has grown mean 4hilea
Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000200090003-1