The communities of the Hungarian minority are the lifelines of the Hungarian nation: they play a key role in the survival of the Hungarian nation as a whole, the Secretary of State of the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for national policy told MTI on November 15, Hungarian Diaspora Day.
Árpád János Potápi recalled that on November 3, 2015, the Hungarian Parliament, in line with its responsibility towards Hungarians living beyond its borders, as enshrined in the Fundamental Law, declared November 15 the day of the birth and death of Gábor Bethlen, Prince of Transylvania, the Hungarian Diaspora Day.
The Hungarian politician stressed that if the Hungarian community in the diaspora is weakened or lost, the Hungarian community as a whole will follow, which is why the Hungarian government is paying special attention to strengthening and supporting Hungarian diaspora communities.
The State Secretary for National Policy pointed out that the communities of the Carpathian Basin make up almost half of the Hungarian population outside Hungary; they were drastically reduced in the 20th century, but the past decade or so has shown that there is no process that is irreversible.
Árpád János Potápi stressed that the State Secretariat for National Policy provides predictable support to a number of institutions, organizations, and colleges operating in the diaspora. As examples, he mentioned the Zoltán Kallós Foundation in Válaszút (Transylvania, Romania), the TÉKA Foundation in Szamosújvár (Transylvania, Romania), the diaspora program of the Hungarian National Council in Vojvodina (Serbia), and schools, kindergartens, and institutions operating in the Transcarpathian diaspora region.
The politician said that the National Restart Program supports the operation, development, and programs of institutions and organizations operating in the diaspora, and the Sándor Petőfi Program was set up in 2015 specifically to support the communities in the diaspora region. He added that since 2015, more than 300 young people have already helped Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin.
Featured photo via MTI/Kiss Gábor
