During a 1956 commemoration held at the Hungarian Embassy in Vienna, Minister of Defence István Simicskó stated that the Hungarians have paid the price of their freedom, and they want to defend and preserve this freedom.
The Minister pointed out that the lesson from the events of 1956 is that we cannot receive freedom as a gift. He emphasized that like the Austrians, we, Hungarians would also like to make the decisions by ourselves about the fate and future of our own country, our homeland and our national family. He noted that the secret of 1956 is the wholehearted love of freedom and patriotism.
The Minister emphasized that we have achieved our freedom and independence not for letting again a new central power, an external force dictate what is good to us.
He thanked the Austrian people for having received “with friendship” in 1956 the about 180,000 Hungarians who arrived in Austria from Hungary, many of whom found their new homeland there.
The Minister also noted that he has high expectations and hopes for the future cooperation with the Austrian side. He underlined that Austria and Hungary have a similar position on security risks and will take joint action to guarantee security.
In an interview to Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr. Simicskó stated that it would be wrong to draw a parallel between the fate of Hungarians fleeing from retaliation after the fall of the 1956 Freedom Fight and the current problem of migration. As he noted, these days we can see a wave of economic migration.
He also said that the Hungarians have done a lot for a more secure and freer Europe, and the people of Hungary can rightly take pride in it with a healthy sense of national identity.
In answer to a question from MTI, the Minister called it joyful that, as compared to what they were like one and a half years ago, the Hungarian–Austrian relations have significantly changed in a positive direction. He stated that the views Austria holds about handling and solving the situation are very similar to those held by Hungary, namely that the external borders of Europe must be protected, just like European values and traditions.
Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil also attended the event and delivered a speech, in which he said that the events of 1956 show the Hungarian people’s courage and desire for freedom, which led them to revolt against the then political regime. He stated that “the Hungarian nation is to be congratulated on taking this brave step”.
The Minister went on to praise the good relations and cooperation between Austria and Hungary. Mr. Doskozil emphasized that the good neighborly relations must be maintained and cultivated, especially in today’s Europe, which is facing increasingly more problems as several states are becoming isolated and taking measures in their national scope of authority. The minister expressed hope that the good relations between the two countries will continue to exist.
The commemoration held at the Hungarian Embassy in Vienna was attended by about 450 people, including Austrian Minister for Agriculture and Environment Andrä Rupprechter, as well as members of parliament and the European parliament and prominent figures of Austrian economic and cultural life.