In Hungary freedom and peace are taken for granted, but they must be maintained, and the chief pledge of that is the Hungarian Defence Forces built upon the foundations of hundreds of years of military traditions, Deputy Minister Szilárd Németh, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence stressed on 20 August, Tuesday in Kőszeg at an event celebrating the establishment of the Hungarian State.

The State Secretary pointed out that 20 August has been a holiday in Hungarian history since 1083. It was on this day that King St. Ladislaus – with the consent of Pope Gregory VII – canonised King Stephen and his son Prince Emeric along with Bishop Gellért in the Székesfehérvár Basilica. St. Stephen did the greatest thing that a monarch could do for his own people: he defended Hungary’s independence at a time when submission and self-surrender would have been a more evident choice. In the Europe of the day, too, the great powers dictated, pacts were concluded, peoples ceased to exist and merged forever into other peoples.

King St. Stephen, however, had enormous faith in the Hungarian people, and laid the foundations of an independent, Christian Hungarian State which he reinforced with robust laws, border protection and the sovereignty of the Hungarian State. He admonished his son Duke St. Emeric, and through him monarchs of the future to preserve and to respect the Christian faith and national traditions. “The legacy of our king St. Stephen stands before us in all historical times as a model, as an example. As former generations, too – when the need emerged – stood up for St. Stephen’s Hungary, it is our turn now to protect this legacy, our values of a thousand years,” Mr Németh highlighted.

The Hungarian nation has lived in the heart of Europe ever since, and has protected not only its Hungarian identity, but equally the borders, peace and security of Europe as well as the values without which Europe cannot exist. The past one thousand years have taught us that Hungary can survive if we preserve ourselves, if we protect our territory, security and independence, if we preserve our Hungarian identity even in the smallest Hungarian village or town, and if needs be we protect ourselves from conquerors. “The Hungarian nation of a thousand years relays the message to Europe that Europe can only survive if it preserves itself, and protects its borders, a Europe of nations and its Christian culture,” the State Secretary stressed.

After the speech, the celebratory bread was blessed and distributed among the citizens of Kőszeg.

(Ministry of Defence/MTI)