We are living in a turbulent time, full of controversies that divide Europe, but our history in Central Europe is intertwined, and decisions can have fateful significance, especially in the neighborhood of the Russia-Ukraine war that has been going on for two and a half years and is intensifying.
Europe must not drift into the war; it must be brought to an end it as soon as possible,
– said Miklos Panyi, Parliamentary and Strategic State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, at the ceremony entitled Freedom Began in Hungary, organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) to mark the 35th anniversary of the opening of the border in 1989.
The state secretary recalled that German-Hungarian relations span more than a thousand years, noting that while the arrival of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin initially conflicted with the interests of the Frankish Empire, it should not be forgotten that the thousand-year-old independent Christian Hungarian state was established with Bavarian support. - “German-Hungarian relations have been diverse over the past millennium, fundamentally shaping how we view each other. We share political, cultural, and economic ties, and the relationship between our peoples must be shaped with responsibility, through mutual listening and partnership. Respect, peace and security, stability, and prosperity must guide how we shape our relations,” he said.
Hungary has initiated historic processes
Miklós Panyi stated that September 11, 1989, is a day of celebration not only because Hungary opened its borders, but also because it triggered a historic chain reaction—communism fell, the Berlin Wall came down, and the reunification of Europe began. "The storm of freedom swept across Europe, and we are proud that Hungary played an important catalytic role in this. Although at that time, we never imagined that years later, we would have to build a fence on another border," he said.
The State Secretary added that Germans and Hungarians have become close again, with Germany remaining Hungary’s most important economic partner ever since. "Today, we may have ongoing debates about sovereignty, Christianity, migration, and peace, but we must embrace these discussions as part of our shared European cultural heritage."
"The Hungarian position is a European position, one shared by tens of millions of Europeans."
He concluded by emphasizing that the opening of borders and German-Hungarian cooperation in 1989 are undeniable successes, and now, Europe must make decisions that will strengthen its security and freedom.
PM Orban did what the German Chancellor was supposed to do
"What Viktor Orbán did with his peace mission is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should have done: the war in Ukraine must be brought to an end," said Gerhard Papke, President of the German-Hungarian Society in the Federal Republic of Germany.
– Speaking about migration, Mr. Papke emphasized that Hungarians have the right to preserve their country. "Hungarians defend a free Europe and prevent migrants from reaching Europe en masse, for which we owe them a debt of gratitude." He added, "It is absurd that Brussels has imposed a €200 million fine on Hungary, or €1 million per day. We must stop Brussels from punishing those who defend the values of Christian Europe and instead work together to protect Europe."
Mr. Papke also reminded the audience of Hungary's contribution to the reunification of Europe and Germany. "Hungarians tore down a fence to free people who had been locked up, but now they've had to erect a fence to keep out mass migration," he pointed out.
