Hungary's prime minister strengthened the hand of reformers in a cabinet reshuffle on Friday while at the same time ensuring that his Socialist Party, grumbling over low poll ratings, was kept happy.
Ferenc Gyurcsany named Socialist stalwart Peter Kiss, once his rival for the prime minister's job, as deputy prime minister and added two reformers, ex-finance minister Tibor Draskovics and Gordon Bajnai, in charge of EU funds, to his cabinet.
"Now that the big ship (has) started off and got going after many years, the job is to keep it moving," Gyurcsany told a news conference. Gyurcsany skilfully avoided antagonising the Socialists who are unhappy about some economic reforms after poll ratings dropped below 20 percent, by not axing any ministers.
Bajnai, a dynamic former businessman, will replace Monika Lamperth as local government minister and she will replace Kiss as labour and social affairs minister.
Draskovics will be minister without portfolio in charge of state reform while Kiss replaces Gyorgy Szilvasy, a close Gyurcsany ally who had come under pressure to quit. He moves to be minister in charge of the secret service.
"This definitely strengthens the reform wing. And it sends a message to the Free Democrats and international investors that the reform process has not stalled," said Zoltan Kiszelly, political analyst at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.