East Germans Concede Reforms Are Needed : Europe: The beleaguered hard-line Politburo changes its tone and will discuss ‘all basic questions of our society.’

East Germany’s ruling Politburo, in a startlingly high-level change of tone, conceded Wednesday night that reforms are needed in the Communist state, which has been racked by demonstrations and the recent flight of thousands of its citizens.

The Politburo said in a special statement that “together, we want to discuss all basic questions of our society.” The statement was read over East German television and distributed simultaneously by the official news agency ADN.

It came after a long Politburo meeting Tuesday night that continued into Wednesday morning, at which the regime’s leadership reportedly came under heavy criticism.

It also came after sharp remarks by the party’s chief ideologist, Kurt Hager, who argued that policy changes are necessary in the hard-line Communist country. Hager, 77, spoke out Sunday in an interview with the Soviet news agency Novosti, after a two-day visit to East Germany by Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. His remarks were published widely Wednesday.

He complained that East German policy regarding the news media must be revamped and that ordinary people must be drawn somehow into the policy-making process.

It was the first time that a senior East German official had publicly recognized the refugee crisis. He admitted that “too many obstacles have been put in the way of youth” and that “something needs to be done about it.”

There were reports that lower-level Communist Party officials in 20 districts of East Germany have demanded that the government discuss the problems with the people and that local talks were already under way in some districts.

Also Wednesday, the ADN reported abruptly and without explanation that East German leader Erich Honecker has canceled an official visit to Denmark scheduled for Oct. 25-26.

The agency quoted an East German diplomat in Copenhagen as saying only that “we think it would be better to have the visit at a later date.”

Political observers speculated that the cancellation could be due to the health of Honecker, 77, who reportedly has not recovered from the effects of a gallbladder operation.

But they also suggested that major political developments might be in the making and that Honecker may not wish to be away from East Berlin at a critical time.

The Politburo statement, referring to the thousands of East Germans who have recently fled to the West, said:

“They had a homeland that needed them and that they needed. The causes for their decision may be many. We must and will look for them here, everyone in their place, everyone together.”

The Communist leaders agreed that among the questions that need to be aired are economic efficiency, consumer goods, a freer news media, foreign travel and democratic cooperation. They said that such matters will be discussed at the next meeting of the larger Central Committee, which usually meets in late autumn but may meet earlier.

The Politburo insisted, however, that any dialogue with the people will not involve the essence of the socialist state.

“We will not allow the power of the workers and peasants, the values, ideals and achievements of socialism to be infringed upon,” the statement said.

In the past few weeks, East Germany has seen thousands of its young people flee to West Germany and thousands of others take part in massive but nonviolent street demonstrations in its major cities, calling for reform and more dialogue.

The demonstrations came at the time of the country’s 40th anniversary celebration and were the largest since the workers’ uprising of 1953, which was suppressed with Soviet tanks.

Hager, in the interview with Novosti, said the time is right for reform.

“First of all,” he said, “it is necessary to draw up a clear-cut concept. But the will is there, and I believe we will succeed in bringing about the necessary renewals. We have discussed our achievements, but now it is necessary to talk about what is needed to change and renew in the run-up to (next year’s) party congress.”

Asked what sort of changes are needed, he said: “It is possible to perfect everything. There are many such questions--for instance, the more active involvement of the population in deciding on social problems and the improvement of information policy.”

Another Communist party official, Herrmann Kant, said in a letter to the Communist party youth organ, Junge Welt, that “clearer and better “ press reports are necessary.

Diplomatic analysts said the emphasis on the press suggests that the man in charge of the Ministry for Agitation and Propaganda, Joachim Herrmann, is being discredited and may be blamed for the demonstrations.

Until Wednesday, the Politburo and the official news media had taken a severe line, arguing that no reforms were necessary and that the demonstrations were the work of thugs and “hooligans.” According to this line, the people who fled the country are traitors.

But on Wednesday, the trade union daily Tribune quoted popular actress Ursula Werner as expressing concern about life in East Germany and the unrealistic way it has been described in the media.

“Because of this, there has been a great loss of confidence that worries us,” she said, and she pressed for free discussion of political and economic reforms.

One of the groups urging reform is New Forum, which in three weeks has obtained more than 10,000 signatures on a statement of principles but has been proscribed by the government.

On Wednesday, Rolf Henrich, a New Forum founder, told West German Radio it is too early to ask people to suspend the demonstrations.

“The only way is for the dialogue to begin,” he said, “and if it really proceeds in a credible way, the streets will clear of protests.”

Before the Politburo issued its statement, the official Communist party newspaper Neues Deutschland accused West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl of “flagrant interference” in urging East German leaders to undertake reforms.

“We will solve our problems alone, not with Kohl’s recipes but with socialist methods, in a socialist fashion, to further strengthen socialism,” Neues Deutschland said in a commentary. “Any demands and recommendations which in reality aim at weakening or abolishing socialism will bear no fruit here.”