On the August 20 national holiday, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő asked the soldiers to serve in a way that wins acknowledgement of their commitment to creed and to sacrifice, to be examples of patriotism, loyalty and allegiance to country, bravery, heroism, devotion, modesty and humility.
He urged them to “raise the flag high”, to a height under which everybody who holds the defence and security of the country as well as the matters of the army important can be marshalled.
Speaking at an awards ceremony at the Carmelite monastery in Budapest, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said the transcendent goal of the state is the preservation of the Hungarian nation and the improvement of their quality of life. He added that the transcendent goal of the state can only be achieved if there are people from all walks of life who serve the preservation of the nation.
“Saint Stephen was the builder of the country; it is every Hungarian’s mission to be a country-builder whatever their place,” he added.
Addressing a festive local council session in Karcag, in eastern Hungary, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said that “even in a dangerous situation” Saint Stephen chose the freedom and independence of the Hungarian people, allowing Hungary to become an independent state rather than become entangled in the sphere of influence of the German principalities.
King Stephen fought, built a new country and established new rules for the survival of the Hungarian people, Varga said. “He left us a homeland that no one was ever able to permanently conquer.”
It took decades for Hungary to become a strong Christian state that could hold its own among the other nations, the minister said. This was a rare feat, he said, arguing that Hungarians were the only nomadic people to establish a successful state in Europe.
Featured photo illustration by Csaba Krizsán/MTI