After the Soviet Union had invaded Hungary in 1956, Canada gave shelter to some 40 thousand Hungarians, and compared to the number of total population no other country has become the second home of so many persecuted Hungarians, Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga stressed at the Hungarian Canadian Cultural Centre of Toronto. Invited by Canada-based Hungarian organizations, the Minister has attended various events in Toronto.
On 23 October, the flag of Hungary was raised with military honours in front of the building of the Toronto City Council to pay tribute to Hungarian heroes of the 1956 revolution. After that, the Minister inaugurated a memorial dedicated to Hungarians’ struggle for freedom in the Budapest Park.
The Minister’s visit was concluded by a ceremony where 39 Canadians took the oath of citizenship.
The gesture of welcoming Hungarians, the Minister pointed out, signalled how important it was to provide shelter for people fleeing Communist terror, and it also shows that Canadian-Hungarians, due to their skills and knowledge, are playing a role in the country’s economic development that cannot be disregarded.
Although the freedom fight was crushed sixty years ago and ruthlessly revenged, the uprising was not futile: the spirit of freedom has defeated oppression. In this way Hungarians demonstrated for other nations that it is possible to stand up against much stronger tyrants, he said.
As the Minister stressed, a successful country can only be created through preserving the spirit and values of 1956. Hungary has regained independence in every field, the Government has been working on national unity and the country has managed to overcome the repercussions of the economic crisis.
During our history, we were often forced to re-start again and again, and find the way forward on our own, he added. The Government continues to represent the interest of Hungarians and take up the fight for the country’s national, political and economic independence.
(Ministry for National Economy)
