the mszmp, although beleaguered by demands for change from within (in the form of increasingly active reform circles), and facing a disintegrating economy, did not meet with the opposition until 22 april. unlike in poland, where the lines between the united opposition and the government were clear, hungary's round table (formally established in june as the national round table ("nemzeti kerekasztal", nka), with talks beginning on the 13th) was trilateral, also involving unions and quasi-civil society organisations under the party's authority but beginning to distance themselves from it. instead of a single opposition movement with substantial threat potential (solidarity), several relatively frail opposition groups which at most could play on the regime's fear of mass demonstrations on the occasion of various commemorations participated. this weakness radicalised their demands, leading to greater government concessions; the opposition, which had an open-ended agenda and could effectively veto proposals, knew from poland that it either had to negotiate free elections or would begin to lose its legitimacy as representatives of the people.