President marks 800th anniversary of Hungary’s Golden Bull

The Golden Bull, issued by King Andrew II in 1222 was a milestone in the development of Hungary’s statehood, President Katalin Novák said in her address to a commemorative conference held in Parliament on Thursday.

The Golden Bull came to be “a benchmark for constitutional development… and a source of confirmation and self-esteem for today’s Hungarians”, the president said. The historic edict “reinforces the conviction that we are worthy of our forefathers’ legacy and of respect by others; it is a reminder that we are not just suffering subjects to but makers of Europe’s history”, she said.

The Golden Bull is an expression of “Hungarians’ commitment to freedom and legal order, as well as a commitment to the country’s sovereignty, Novák said.