The inauguration of the Szászfenes/Floresti’s Reformed church

Hungary is now strong enough “in both body and soul” to take responsibility for ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania as well, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Floresti (Szászfenes), in north-western Romania, on Sunday.

Speaking at the inauguration of the town’s Reformed church, Orbán praised the community’s work in building the congregation.

“Where there is work, a will to act and unity, help won’t be far behind,” Orbán said.

“We are proud that the Hungarian government had the chance to support the completion of this church.”

He said part of the reason why the government was able to assist the Floresti community in building the church was that in 2014, Hungarians of the Carpathian Basin had a chance to support “a cross-border nation policy that assumes responsibility for all Hungarian communities“.

“We Hungarians will only have a future and we will only be able to protect our community, our buildings and intellectual heritage if we unite,” Orbán said.

Photo: MTI

“We will only have a future if we create the conditions for you to be able to make a living in your homeland,” he added.

The prime minister said western Europe — out of negligence or naivety — was hiding its religious symbols and turning its back on its own culture, not realising that by doing so “it is throwing away its own future”.

Orbán reminded those in attendance that they, too, could vote in Hungary’s parliamentary elections and asked them for their support in next year’s election.

“I can only help you if you help us,” he said.

Prior to the inauguration ceremony, Reverend István Máté said that the church’s construction had cost 3.5 million lei (EUR 760,700) and was supported by a 160 million forint (EUR 513,000) grant from the Bethlen Gábor Fund Manager.

As we wrote yesterday, Orbán had a speech at an event in Cluj/Kolozsvár, in north-western Romania, marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI