Hungary can only be a truly European country if it remains true to itself, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in Gyula on Tuesday, 6 October, at a commemoration marking the 177th anniversary of the execution of the Martyrs of Arad.
Magyar delivered his speech at the memorial to the military officers near Gyula Castle. The event was also attended by Hunor Kelemen, president of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), and Péter Faragó, the organisation’s president in Arad County.
‘Freedom must be used and protected’
In his speech, Magyar said Hungary must remain worthy of the legacy of the country’s historical heroes and their ideals of freedom, self-determination, equality before the law and responsible government.
“Freedom is not a legacy that we receive once and then lock away in a display case,” he said. “Freedom must be used, cared for and, when necessary, protected. The same applies to independence.”
The prime minister stressed that Hungary’s European identity should not come at the expense of its national identity.
“Hungary can only be a worthy European country if it remains itself at the same time. With its own voice, its own culture, its own interests and, of course, its own responsibility. Not by shutting itself away, not on its knees, and certainly not by being sent out for a coffee break. But always standing upright, there at the European table.”
The reference to being “sent out for a coffee break” appears to allude to a 2023 EU meeting, when former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán left the room during a vote on opening accession talks with Ukraine.
Details: PM Orbán’s surprising decision about Ukraine’s EU accession explained
Magyar calls for respect amid political divisions
Magyar also used the commemoration to call for greater respect between Hungarians with different political views. According to the prime minister, the 1848–49 revolution and War of Independence belong to the entire Hungarian nation rather than any single political party or side.
He pointed to historical figures Lajos Kossuth and István Széchenyi, who frequently disagreed but shared a commitment to serving Hungary. “People can argue while not questioning the Hungarian identity of the other person,” Magyar said. “We can see the world differently while standing under the same flag.”
He also criticised the use of dehumanising political language, saying Hungarians should not call other Hungarians “insects” simply because they hold different views.
“The power is not property. The office of prime minister is not a reward. A mandate is not a privilege, but a service, and it is temporary, because sooner or later every prime minister becomes a former prime minister. Hungary, however, remains,” he said.
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‘Hungary will remain’
Magyar also recalled the fate of Lajos Batthyány, Hungary’s first responsible prime minister, who sought compromise and negotiations in an attempt to prevent further bloodshed, but ultimately became one of the most prominent symbols of the Austrian reprisals following the 1848–49 revolution.
The prime minister said the task of today’s leaders was not to seek new martyrs, but to protect Hungarians’ freedom and security while rebuilding Hungary’s place within a European community that could be relied upon.
“Those who come after us will eventually take our place,” Magyar said. “Our responsibility is to ensure that when we hand Hungary over to them, it is freer, stronger, more humane and better-functioning than the Hungary we received.”
