Inauguration of the training centre of the Hungarian Scout Association

Nagykovácsi, 2018. május 27. Lovas huszárok az országos cserkésznap nyitóeseményén és a felújított TelekiTisza-kastély ünnepélyes átadóján az épület parkjában, Nagykovácsiban 2018. május 27-én. A kastélyt és parkját 2013-ban kapta meg a Magyar Cserkészszövetség; a felújításra 2,5 milliárd forint támogatást biztosított a kormány. A cserkészszövetség az ingatlanon rendezvényközpontot alakított ki, ahol egyebek mellett képzéseket, nemzetközi konferenciákat, cserkésztalálkozókat tartanak majd. MTI Fotó: Koszticsák Szilárd

The Hungarian government and the Hungarian Scout Association share the same basic values, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the inauguration of the conference and training centre of the Hungarian Scout Association in Nagykovácsi, near Budapest.

The Hungarian government and the Scout Association both want to train resourceful young people who believe in the values that have sustained Hungarians for a thousand years,

Orbán said. Hopefully, the two can act as allies in the future, he added.

“Family, the homeland and a comradeship in which we stand up for each other are the natural bases of our way of thinking. We believe that Hungarians belong together, whether they live in diasporas or in Hungary, and that the nation is a living community and not fiction,” he said.

Inauguration of the training centre of the Hungarian Scout Association

“Modern times and fashion trends could undermine our cultural values if we let that happen…,” he added.

The newly revamped centre can become a centre of force of the new Christian democracy of the 21st century, Orbán said. This paradigm guarantees the dignity, security and freedom of people, the equality of men and women, the traditional family model, Chrisitan culture, and gives the nation a “chance to survive and prosper” in the 21st century, he said.

Inauguration of the training centre of the Hungarian Scout Association

József Pótor, executive chairman of the association, said that scouts are “the type of youth needed nowadays”. They have learnt cooperation, recognise and swiftly solve problems and work not for themselves but others, he said.

The centre was established in a 19th century castle consecutively owned by the Teleki and Tisza families.

The Hungarian government donated it to the scouts in 2013, and funded the reconstruction with a 2.5 billion forint (EUR 7.8m) grant. The Scout Association is to hold conferences, jamborees and trainings on the site.