"When we talk about the Hungarian nation, we should not only talk about Hungary in the narrow sense but also about the Carpathian Basin and even the diaspora," Árpád János Potápi stressed.Continue reading
The Hungarian Government will not give up its national strategic goals in the difficult economic situation caused by the war, and will continue its work of national unification by strengthening Hungarian communities abroad and caring for them, the Secretary of State for National Policy of the Prime Minister’s Office said in Pécs on Thursday.
Speaking at the three-day conference entitled Diaspora 2023 – Borderless Communities, organized by the University of Pécs, Árpád János Potápi said that the Cabinet’s concern for national regions, national communities and Hungarians living outside Hungary’s borders is fundamental, clear and continuous.
The politician said that this has been the case since 2010,
since thirteen years ago Parliament decided to establish dual citizenship as a unifying force for the nation, and this milestone has determined the national policy of the Orbán governments ever since.
In his opening speech, the Secretary of State said that this year is the “Year of the Caring Nation” in national policy, and its focus is on ensuring the operation of Hungarian institutions abroad, ensuring continuity and predictability, and maintaining and operating the community support networks established during the thematic years.
Secretary of State Árpád János Potápi at the conference. Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
He added that the Cabinet continues to support almost a hundred institutions and programs of national importance, so applications are constantly being submitted. Árpád János Potápi underlined that
a program to develop kindergartens had been launched in the Carpathian Basin, and almost 900 kindergartens and nurseries had been built and renovated to ensure the survival and strengthening of Hungarian communities beyond the borders.
He said that the so-called Borderless Program had enabled half a million students from Hungary to reach a region abroad in the Carpathian Basin. Seventh-graders can still visit former Hungarian regions with state funding.
He also pointed out that the Cabinet gives priority to supporting cultural events and programs abroad, but scholarship holders can also reach Hungarian communities in the diaspora and in the sparsely populated areas, and the government has set up sports academies and supports sports events across the border. Thanks to the latter measures, he added, sportsmen and women in Hungarian settlements have become more successful and sports associations have been strengthened.
The Secretary of State said that
the Carpathian Basin has always been one economic area, and that is why the government has been supporting Hungarian businesses abroad since 2014, including those that also employ Hungarian workers.
He drew attention to the fact that 1,000 twin city relationships had been established or strengthened in the Carpathian Basin at the level of local governments over the past decade, and from 2022 the state will also support economic cooperation. Árpád János Potápi stated that there is also continuous contact with the diaspora, so the support and the running of programs for people living in Western Europe and other parts of the world is also ongoing.
The politician also announced that from this year, a new opportunity will be offered to those who would like to repatriate to Hungary, with the government providing a one-stop office for all matters related to repatriation through the so-called Welcome Office.
Featured photo via Facebook/Árpád János Potápi
