Miklos Nemeth, Hungary’s last prime minister of the communist era, said the picnic and the East Germans’ breakthrough on that day was one in a series of steps that brought democracy to most of the Soviet bloc within a year.
“It was a planned process on behalf of the government, but it was a transition where everyone was also seeking to secure their own future,” Nemeth said.
With 80,000 Soviet troops stationed in Hungary, Nemeth said it was difficult to know how Moscow would react to the unprecedented events.
“In my mind this was an important event, a test,” Nemeth said. “And fortunately, Arpad Bella ... although he did not get any information, he decided in the right way.”
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