The latest Commander of the Hungarian Armed Forces was inaugurated on Saturday

Poto: facebook.com/Magyar Honvédség

Major General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi was inaugurated as Commander of the Hungarian Armed Forces in Parliament on Saturday.

Ruszin-Szendi’s mandate is from June 3, until May 31, 2026, according to a resolution issued by President János Áder.

At the inauguration ceremony, Ferenc Korom, the former commander, handed over the flag of the Command of the Hungarian Armed Forces to his successor.

Addressing the ceremony, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő praised Korom’s accomplishments, including the establishment of the headquarters of the Central European multinational division based in Székesfehérvár and the Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC) in Szolnok, in central Hungary, as well as the management of the military’s contributions to the country’s pandemic defence efforts.

Turning to the new commander, Benkő said Ruszin-Szendi would have to take over ongoing tasks and take on new ones. These, he noted, included the procurement of new equipment and staff-related duties such as the continued development of the military career model and streamlining the system of volunteer reservists.

The minister said Ruszin-Szendi would only succeed in his role if he was strict, demanding, consistent, humane and a role model.

Benkő nominated Ruszin-Szendi for the post of commander of the armed forces earlier this week after President János Áder had relieved Korom of his duties.

In a hearing before parliament’s defence and law enforcement committee on Tuesday, Ruszin-Szendi said his most important task was to continue developing the Hungarian army as a leading force in the region.

Saturday’s ceremony was also attended by President János Áder, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér, Lajos Kósa, the head of parliament’s defence and law enforcement committee, and senior defence ministry officials, among others.