“Our homeland is an irreplaceable value to all of us”, Minister of Defence István Simicskó emphasized in his speech at the officer commissioning ceremony held on Sunday 20 August on Kossuth Lajos Square outside Budapest’s Parliament Building.
“We, as a nation, will always have a future” as long as there are young Hungarians who choose the military career and who would even sacrifice their lives to defend their country according to their oath, Mr. Simicskó highlighted.
The Minister also noted that the commemoration of the foundation of the Hungarian state is also a celebration of our Christian faith. “The only thing that can take us forward is the Christian faith we received from Saint Stephen”, he said.
It would seems that “Brussels is giving up its faith and losing its foundation”, Mr. Simicskó noted.
The Minister of Defence emphasized that in order for us to be able to preserve Hungary for our children and grandchildren, and ensure that they can live here as Hungarians, the borders of the country must be protected and action must be taken against threats such as mass illegal migration and terrorism.
As the Minister noted, the founder of the state King Stephen I is a canonized saint according to the Eastern Orthodox Church, which also shows how lasting his accomplishment is. “The king’s Admonitions to his son, Emeric, show the way for the present generation, today’s Hungarians”, he said. “The first three admonitions concern the importance of faith and keeping faith, and the fourth is about valiant soldiers who defend the homeland”, Mr. Simicskó explained, pointing out that we must appreciate our soldiers in all eras.
Addressing the officers taking their oaths, the Minister of Defence said that the government of Hungary has recognised that strengthening the morale, combat readiness and defence capabilities of the Hungarian Defence Force is an essential task. “This work has begun, and after 25 years the Hungarian Defence Force will once again set out on the path of development”, Mr. Simicskó stated.
This year 92 officer cadets took their military oaths. As part of the ceremony, continuing the Ludovika tradition revived in 2011, they confirmed their oaths by drawing their swords and shouting “For the homeland unto death!”.
The ceremony was attended by President Áder, Minister of Defence István Simicskó, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Tibor Benkő, several representatives of the government, the military and the diplomatic corps, and despite the rainy weather by a crowd of several hundred onlookers.