Government official: Hungary stands by European ideals, independence

Hungary today stands by European ideals and independence as it did during the revolution in 1848, the state secretary for Hungarians abroad said at a commemoration in Stuttgart, southern Germany, marking the March 15 national holiday, the anniversary of the revolution.

Árpád János Potápi said on Wednesday at the event held at the city’s Institute for Hungarian Culture that the Hungarian freedom fight was the last of a wave of revolutions to be stemmed, “and the country was at the time looked upon by many as a bastion of freedom.”

Hungary has a similar role today, Potápi said, arguing that it stands up for European ideals and Hungarian independence, as well as its stance that Europe is a community of free and independent states.

Potápi noted that in 2015, 160,000 Hungarians were registered to be living in or near Stuttgart. Not all have permanently settled there, however: some merely came to work, he said.

An increasing number of Hungarians are returning from abroad to find a job in their homeland, he added.

The Hungarian government has in recent years supported Hungarian organisations and weekend schools in the area, and plans to continue to do so, Potápi said.

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Source: MTI