Andrássy saw politics as the art of seizable opportunities, Kövér said, adding that the emotion that motivated his policies was patriotism. In 1866, Andrássy was elected president of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with drawing up the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.

After his four-year term as prime minister, he served as the foreign minister of Austria-Hungary until 1879. Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said the inauguration of the statue gives Andrássy the recognition he deserves. Parliament approved a decree on reconstructing Kossuth Square in 2011.

The project began in 2013 and involved, among other things, building an underground car park, a visitor centre and a museum.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Máthé Zoltán