Viktor Orbán: That is how a nation is reborn!
The work of 1956 was brought to completion by Hungarians’ two-thirds election victory in 2010, Viktor Orbán declared in his festive speech delivered in Kossuth Square. The Premier underlined that we had one year to lay the foundations of a successful life and put the country back on an ascending course.
It was here in Kossuth Square at 9 pm on this day 54 years ago that Imre Nagy stepped on a table placed in the window of an office on the northern wing and looked down at the square, the Premier recalled the beginning of the 1956 revolution. As he put it, with two lost world wars behind, with the devastating experience of two dissections in its guts, with the burden of the plot against its Jewish fellow countrymen, and with the staggering population loss from resettlements, our nation appeared to be a thing of the past, a mere memory.
However, it was Hungary that was standing in this square; a nation which now was united by the voices of the heart, by the word of blood, and by a shared goal, idea and mission. Plundered and deceived as it may have been it was a real and vigorous nation that was standing in this square, he pointed out saying that a real Hungary, without falsehood and the veil of propaganda was facing its destiny in this square; people had stepped out of the decoration set and opened the road to the future.
Viktor Orbán also recalled that by his intelligence and intrepidity in what was a disgraceful trial against him Imre Nagy was raised to the ranks of our greatest heroes and defended the purity the revolution and the honour of his fellow martyrs. We owe a debt of gratitude for it, he added. We, who lined up in 1990 to beat our own nails into the coffin of communism, we, who participated in the two-thirds revolution of the April elections, know how it feels as if someone was standing behind our back guiding our steps towards the accomplishment of our mission, noted Viktor Orbán pointing out that that was how the armed revolution of ‘56 and the constitutional two-thirds revolution of 2010 could take place - that was how a nation was reborn.
No other day since history began has shown more clearly the eternal unquenchability of man's desire to be free, whatever the odds against success, whatever the sacrifice required, the Prime Minister cited President Kennedy’s words on our heroes of 1956.
1956 remained an unfinished story until 2010
1956 had been Hungarians’ unfinished story until this year; however, the two-thirds revolution freed us, the inheritors of ‘56, from feeling on the day of the revolution that we must re-fight this battle after all. We have ended the fight for shaping Hungary’s life prospects, Viktor Orbán pointed out adding that this fight was over with our victory, the victory of the ‘56ers, the victory of regime-changing free Hungarians in April 2010.
In the view of Fidesz’ president, in 1956 Hungarians defeated the lie in the streets; now, in 2010, we overthrew and delivered the deathblow to a system built of lies. And that brought the era of national cooperation, he said.
The Premier underlined that in ‘56 foreign forces used violence to stifle the opportunity of building a new era; now, after the two-thirds revolution, no foreign force can take away our freedom which we achieved in a democratic manner, as is normal in Europe, and which the whole recognised. We must build the era of prosperity and success in Hungary, the Prime Minister emphasised.
We must open a new century of justice for Hungarians
There are times when one can only die for justice, and that was the destiny of hundreds of Hungarians in 1956. We do not want to die for justice but want to live in it. That is the destiny that we are now facing. We have received the opportunity to open a new century of justice for Hungarians. We must never forget that we owe a debt of gratitude to ‘56ers by turning our country into one which is made as strong as this great nation deserves. That is our mission, said the Premier.
Viktor Orbán added that had ‘56ers yielded to temptation by bypassing rather than bringing down the taboos the brickwall of communism would still be erect today. Had we not demanded the pullout of Soviet troops in 1989 Central-Europe would still be full of them. Had we given way to despair we could not be standing here now and would regret till our dying day what we wasted then.
There were taboos at the time of the regime change which we failed to topple, which was a huge mistake and caused us to lose a lot of time. When the opportunity arises and the door opens we must not have doubts. We must visualise a new century for Hungarians; we must focus our sights on this goal and cast away our doubt into a chest and lock it up, the Prime Minister underlined.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
We did not win in the spring only to leave everything the way it was. ‘56ers did not sacrifice their lives, our parents did not preserve the truth during the dictatorship, we did not carry through the regime change, and we did endure the past eight years only to stop short and falter when the door to the future opens wide. That opportunity arises once in a lifetime. We must focus on the goal and we will succeed, said Viktor Orbán.
The Premier pointed out that the nation had said yes to the need to change everything in our country. Everything, including the Constitution, public morality, taboos, imperatives, goals, relationships, values, the media and environmental protection, the school and the practice of public procurement - everything must change that is antihuman and against the nation.
The nation said yes to change
If wee look beyond the ruins of the past eight years we can see the century for Hungarians. The nation said yes to the need to change everything, pointed out Viktor Orbán. He added that in hard times it took an optimistic look to see the outlines of a happier age. We visualise a country where no silly rules prevent honest work, where the value of pensions is guaranteed, and where it is not allowed to gamble away people’s savings on the stock exchange, the Premier explicated. We are building a country where giving birth to and bringing up children is worth one’s while. We want a country where it is worth paying taxes because it is simple and just, said Viktor Orbán.
Those in doubt will inadvertently become advocates of the past. We must not give in to despair or else we will fail. We will leave no one under the ruins of the past, the Premier stressed. We have one year to come up to speed and lay the foundations of Hungarian life, the Premier pointed out to his listeners in his festive speech.
We know how the handle of the axe trembles when we cut down a hard tree, as in 1956 our parents and grandparents were facing the oppressors unarmed and then sent the Russians home without shedding a single drop of blood. Four years ago those in power sent mounted policemen to scatter peacefully celebrating people. We are here now and trust that those in power in those days will be where they are supposed to be, the Premier alluded to the socialists’ disgraceful reign.
There may come hard times yet but we will be there as we know that hard times do not last as long as hard people endure, Viktor Orbán concluded his address.