Buzek denies rumors of Finance Minister's threat to resign over budget

Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek has denied rumors that Finance Minister Jaroslaw Bauc threatened to step down from his post if his fellow ministers did not agree to reduce their departments' expenditure. "I have heard a lot of such information, but none came from the finance minister, with whom I speak twice a day on average," Buzek said. Earlier yesterday, the PAP news agency reported that Bauc had threatened to quit if the cabinet failed to cap the planned budget deficit increase at zl.8.6 billion. Bauc himself denied the reports, saying, "I have no reason to leave since the government has accepted what I proposed." (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 1; Reuters) A.Z.