‘A human in inhumanity’ – Politicians, Public Figures Say Goodbye to László Bogdán

Politicians, well-known public figures, and organizations remembered László Bogdán, Mayor of Cserdi, who died on Monday. The Hungarian Parliament also paid tribute to Bogdán’s memory with a silent line-up.

Gergely Karácsony, Mayor of Budapest:

“The last time I was in Cserdi, I received a beautiful photo from Laci. The photo shows the oldest citizen of Cserdi, a beautiful elderly gypsy woman. He said he was giving me this photo to always remind me that gypsies rarely live to such a beautiful age and carry a lot of burdens even during their (often) shorter lives.

László Bogdán, the Mayor of Cserdi, also carried these, but not just these. His own problems, his village’s problems, and even the common burdens of us all: poverty, exclusion, futility, dogmas. Burdens that we should have relieved ourselves of a long time ago, but we have just put them back on the shoulders of others over the decades (…).”

Ferenc Gyurcsány, President of DK:

“Laci Bogdán was my friend. I mourn and I don’t understand. I don’t understand how he got to that awful decision. They called me at dawn to inform me what happened. Oh, my God! I honestly don’t understand. (…) I mourn Laci and I’m angry. Why did you leave?! And why didn’t we notice you’re in so much trouble?!

What can be said? My heart is broken for you. For your partner. For Cserdi. For the Hungarian gypsies. Lord forgive us!”

Gábor Vona, Former President of Jobbik:

“We drew a line on a piece of paper, one half of it was with you and the other half with me. We had plans together. I don’t know why you decided that, but the country suffered a huge loss.”

Alföldi Róbert, Actor and Director:

“If the world can ever become better and more human, it is only due to people like Laci Bogdán.

For people who, knowing neither God nor man — and at the same time knowing God and man much better than perhaps any of us — just go forward, through fire and water, by force — almost by painful force, but they go because they know where to go to make the world better and more humane.”

László Mérő, Mathematician:

“Hearing the news of László Bogdán’s death, besides pain and anger, I was shocked that I do not feel condolence. The words of Géza Ottlik helped to process this: “Our condolence would be wrong, false and unnecessary, because we cannot comment on it, nor can we say whether it suffered a final defeat or, conversely, thoroughly shelled out its fate in this way.”

Budapest Bike Mafia

“Laci! But we’re going to see you this summer too. To meet again and show the Bike Mafia how you have a morning meeting in the village, sitting on the tractor, holding a hoe to show how to get the last potato out of the ground, how much each little piece weighs (…). To show us what real gypsy lecso is like, the recipe of which I have tried so many times to get out of you, but always with a sincere smile you let me know not to bother.

Laci, I’m sending you an SMS now and please reply as usual, where you always write: ‘your friend, BL.’ All I ask is that you do not do this, just answer and write that everything is fine, Cserdi continues to flourish and you will travel the country to share your experiences, your thoughts on how to become human in inhumanity.”

Parliament:

Jobbik suggested one-minute of silence as a tribute to László Bogdán on Monday in the Parliament. Leading President, István Jakab ordered one-minute of silence in commemoration.

Featured photo by Zoltán Balogh/MTI