Insider notes from United Press International for July 19...

By and large eastern Europeans have done a good job of burying their
Soviet-era past, but some ghosts still force their way above ground. This
time it's Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy's turn to come under
scrutiny. The Hungarian Parliament is investigating reports that Medgyessy
had been a secret service agent for the communist regime in the 1970s and
80s. The information was based on recently released documents from the
secret police archives. Now Justice Minister Peter Barandy wants to broaden
the investigation and publish the pre-1999 state security files of all
Hungarian parliamentarians and senior officials to identify those who had
ties with the bad old days.

The Ukrainian government has decided to award pensions and other benefits to
veterans of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), and the Kremlin is furious.
No wonder: About 100,000 UPA nationalists put up a stiff resistance to the
Soviet takeover of the Ukraine, and it took Moscow over eight years to
suppress them. Moscow has taken strong objection to Kiev's decision to honor
the UPA, thus putting them on the same level with Ukrainian veterans of the
Red Army. Ukraine's response to Russian criticism was a sharp comment from
Ukrainian foreign minister, Anatoly Zlenko, that rehabilitating UPA fighters

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been dropping hints about his
next job -- President of Italy. At present the head of state has a largely
ceremonial role, but Berlusconi's Forza Italia party wants to change it into
a French-style presidency with more political power, and chosen in a
national election instead of by the Italian parliament. The post becomes
vacant in 2005.An Italian political source revealed to UPI Hears Friday that
Berlusconi has been telling associates he would be interested in being a
candidate once the presidency had been reformed. Why not? says Berlusconi's
main coalition partner Gianfranco Fini, leader of the Alleanza Italiana. "He
will be an authoritative and credible candidate."

Copyright © 2002 United Press International


IWPR's network:

MONTENEGRO: "US PRESSURE" LED TO OFFSHORE BANK BLOW - Foreign investors
and financial institutions are stunned by the authorities' decision to strip the country's offshore banking
network of its privileges.

MACEDONIA: SPECIAL FORCES "ELECTION THREAT" - There are fears that
paramilitary police units could be used to keep the government in power.

"HANDS OFF" PLEDGE OVER BOSNIA - Belgrade and Zagreb recognise territorial
integrity of Bosnia but shy away from other important issues at Balkan summit.

ALBANIA: NEW PREMIER PROMISES REFORM - Faced with growing demands for an
early election, the Socialist Party has chosen its third prime minister in just over a year.

MILOSEVIC INSIDERS TO TESTIFY - Will the appearance at The Hague of
Milosevic confidantes weaken the Serbian public's opposition to the tribunal?

PENETRATING MILOSEVIC'S INNER CIRCLE - Former Yugoslav federal president
Zoran Lilic is forced to travel to The Hague as prosecutors intensify
efforts to harden their case against Milosevic.