Recalling the first, dark hours of the year, “we can rightfully ask” whether 2017, too, will be a year of closed doors and fear, Áder said at a reception at Budapest’s Palace of Arts, noting the New Year’s Day mass shooting in an Istanbul nightclub.

Áder also noted in his speech that in 1968 Pope Paul VI had chosen New Year’s Day to be the World Day of Peace. Áder said Paul VI’s message that peace cannot be reduced to a balance of power between enemies and that it can only be achieved through constant work also emphasised individual responsibility.

Addressing the event on behalf of the diplomats, Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary Alberto Bottari de Castello pointed out the humanitarian crisis caused by the unprecedented wave of migrants affecting Europe.

This still poses immense challenges to nations in the continent while requiring them to find common solutions, he said.

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

MTI photo: Koszticsák Szilárd