Von der Leyen addresses Hungary’s parliament – Magyar: Hungary cannot drift
Von der Leyen and Costa travelled to Budapest for the 70th anniversary of the 1956 uprising, a visit seen as a fresh start between Brussels and Hungary after the Orbán era.
Archive image · Photo: Grunpfnul / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen honoured the victims of the 1956 uprising at a special session of Hungary’s parliament on Friday. Hungarians had fought “against impossible odds” for the values of freedom, democracy and justice that define Europe’s vision today, she said, according to the Associated Press. She also praised Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s “renewed commitment” to a common future. “Six months ago, the people of Hungary voted for a new chapter,” von der Leyen said. European Council President António Costa also attended the commemorations at Magyar’s invitation.
Tens of thousands of people gathered on Kossuth Square outside parliament, AP reported. Magyar said the insurgents had given their lives “for a democratic and independent Hungary”. In an allusion to his predecessor Viktor Orbán, who ruled for 16 years, he said a ruler must know that his power can never be more important than the freedom of his country. “Hungary is not a country that can drift forever between East and West,” Magyar said. His Tisza party has held a two-thirds majority since its election victory in April. Earlier, he laid flowers at the grave of Imre Nagy, the former prime minister executed after the uprising, Euronews reported.
The uprising began on 23 October 1956 and was crushed by Soviet troops after 15 days; up to 3,000 people were killed and some 200,000 fled the country. Budapest is still seeking the release of frozen EU funds. According to Euronews, Brussels says further reforms are needed first. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was invited but was considered unlikely to attend, according to The Rio Times.