The central ceremony of the Ministry and the Hungarian Defense Forces was held at the Bálna Defense Center.Continue reading
No matter how much they shout war around us, Hungarians are not alone in their desire for peace, Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at the August 20 military ceremony at Kossuth Square, in front of the Parliament in Budapest – reports Mandiner.
Addressing the military officers taking the oath of office, the minister pointed out that our world is being turned upside down by a war not far from our borders, whose “ruthlessness and destructive power we thought was a thing of the past.”
The warfare we have seen and its political and economic consequences have made it clear that a new world order is emerging, the outcome of which we cannot see, but we can see that the conflict could end in a global confrontation,”
he added. The minister underlined that the Hungarian position is clear from our own historical experience: an immediate ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations is the right and correct solution.
“The head of the Catholic Church prayed to the Virgin Mary, Hungary’s patron saint, for peace right here on this square just a few weeks ago. Pope Francis’ words are engraved in our hearts:
no matter how much they shout war around us, Hungarians are not alone in their desire for peace,”
said the Defense Minister.
He recalled that long before the outbreak of the war, the Hungarian government had already embarked on an unprecedented development of its armed forces, based on the long-term political reality that peace requires strength. “This mission now represents a complete epochal change in the Hungarian armed forces and in our national resilience.
A new Hungarian force is being born in the NATO alliance framework,”
he stressed, adding that it is the duty of the political and military leaders to build a modern, effective, and deterrent national defense capable of guaranteeing the security of the country.
“However, you must lead this army,” he noted. “You must never forget that there may come a time when it is only you and your corps that can stand between destiny and our people. We will have the technology to do it, but these weapons are only as powerful as the brave soldiers who wield them,” he summed up.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stressed that in their new posts, officers must make decisions based on the iron law of “leading well,” which is their oath as an officer, obliging them to put the interests of their country, countrymen, and their subordinates before their own.”
In the view of the politician, being a commander is in fact a perpetual service, demanding in body and soul, requiring self-sacrifice, often self-denial, with the decisions determining the lives of the people entrusted to the commanders, and through them the fate of the country.
Do this with a humble spirit, for there may be a situation where the commander is left alone with God,”
he asked of the officers.
“I am convinced that it would be hard to find a better calling than to defend our people, Hungarian families, and their property, the thousand-year-old Christian Hungarian culture, even at the cost of our lives,” he said. Szalay-Bobrovniczky thanked the Hungarian Defense Forces for their decision to “take the sword.”
In his welcome speech, General Gábor Böröndi, Chief of the Defense Staff, noted that the oath not only changes the lives of officers and their loved ones, but also guarantees the security of tens of thousands of Hungarian families.
He stressed:
Hungarian soldiers have always been and will always be there, in all circumstances,
whether it is to defend the country or to protect human lives and property. He added that those who take the oath of office are putting their lives on the line, as they will have to prove themselves in combat, and officers now have a responsibility not only for their comrades and future troops, but also for our country, Hungary.
He asked the soldiers to always be worthy of the trust and recognition of society through excellent service. The Chief of the General Staff of the Hungarian Defense Forces said that
they should uncompromisingly, under all circumstances, preserve their uniforms and the honor of the Hungarian Defense Forces, even at the cost of their lives.
This year, 166 people took their military oath on Kossuth Lajos Square in front of the Parliament. The officers confirmed their vows by drawing their swords and shouting “For the homeland unto death.” After the oath-taking ceremony, Catholic Bishop Tibor Berta and Protestant Bishop János Jákob said a prayer. At the end of the inauguration, three Gripen fighters of the Hungarian Defense Forces flew over Kossuth Square with a so-called “emblematic crossing,” leaving a vapor trail of red, white, and green.
Featured images: Facebook/Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf