House speaker addresses Hungaricum event in Parliament

Budapest, May 24 (MTI) – One of the aims of the law on Hungarian national values and Hungaricums passed by parliament in 2012 has been to propel “national self-esteem” to victory over “national defeatism”, the parliamentary speaker said at an event in Parliament on Wednesday.

“We wished that national self-esteem would win more than just a battle; we wanted it to win the war against national defeatism,” László Kövér said at the event highlighting Hungaricums, products unique to Hungary.

“In this long-fought war, not only is Hungarians’ self-esteem at stake, but so is their sense of values,” he said.

Individuals or communities deprived of their values are weakened in their ability to enforce or protect their interests, Kövér said. Such individuals or communities become easier to rule or exploit, he added.

“We Hungarians do not want to be victims anymore in the 21st century like we were in past centuries, the house speaker said. “Therefore one of the most effective methods of protecting our sense of values is to recognise, enrich, cherish and promote Hungarian creativity that spawns intellectual or material value,” Kövér added.

These days, members of the “Hungaricum movement” are considered “revolutionaries of Hungarian quality” in a world in which performance and quality are subjected to increasingly strict standards, he said.