by Calculated Risk on 6/05/2010 08:33:00 AM

There were a few reports yesterday of a Hungarian official talking about a possible "default", and saying the budget numbers had been "manipulated". A couple of readers (from Hungary), sent me better translations - and the comments were clumsy, and not as scary.

Today from Reuters: Hungary government says aims to meet 2010 deficit goal

Hungary's government said on Saturday it still aimed to meet this year's deficit target, as it sought to draw a line under "exaggerated" talk of a possible Greek-style debt crisis that had unnerved markets a day earlier.

State secretary Mihaly Varga ... said Hungary's previous socialist governments had hidden the true state of the country's public finances, and that additional measures would be needed to reach the 3.8 percent of GDP target.
...
"Those comments which were made on this issue are exaggerated, and if a colleague makes them it is unfortunate," Varga told a news conference.

"I have to say that the situation is consolidated, and the planned deficit (target) is attainable, but for it to be attainable the government must take measures."

This scare helped push the euro to the lowest level against the dollar since March 2006.

More from the WSJ: Hungary Rushes to Calm Markets

Click on graph for larger image in new window.

The Euro has only been around since Jan 1999. The graph shows the number of dollars per euro since Jan 1, 1999.

The dashed line is the current exchange rate. Just a little further (below 1.1667 dollars per euro), and we will be discussing the lowest level since 2003.