Centre of Budapest district named after former president Göncz

Budapest, 2016. szeptember 27. Tóth József, a XIII. kerület polgármestere (b2), valamint Göncz Árpád gyermekei, Göncz Kinga, Göncz Benedek, Göncz Annamária és Göncz Dániel (b-j) a néhai köztársasági elnökrõl elnevezett városrész névadó ünnepségén az Árpád híd pesti hídfõjénél 2016. szeptember 27-én. MTI Fotó: Bruzák Noémi

Budapest (MTI) – The centre of Budapest’s 13th district has been named after Árpád Göncz, Hungary’s first post-communist president between 1990 and 2000, in a ceremony on Tuesday.

Addressing the event, Mayor József Tóth said that with this move the municipality wanted to pay tribute to President Göncz’s ideals, philosophy and lifetime achievements, a personality who served the cause of the public throughout his life.

Political scientist László Kéri called it a perfect choice to name after Göncz a neighbourhood where “critical intellectuals and the working class live in traditional solidarity together”.

Budapest, 2016. szeptember 27. Kéri László politológus beszédet mond a Göncz Árpád néhai köztársasági elnökrõl elnevezett városrész névadó ünnepségén az Árpád híd pesti hídfõjénél 2016. szeptember 27-én. MTI Fotó: Bruzák Noémi

“Göncz was one of the few politicians unifying the two,” he said.

At the ceremony, family members and the mayor unveiled a tablet and a memorial stone.

The ceremony was attended by lawmakers, a former minister of the opposition Socialist party, the leader of the Hungarian Liberal Party and a former leader of the now defunct Alliance of Free Democrats.

Árpád Göncz died in October 2015 at the age of 93.

Photos: MTI

Source: MTI

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