“The fireworks show is an important tradition and a good holiday programme for families, but spending this much on it is an irresponsible waste of money,” the party’s spokesman said.



Balázs Barkóczi told an online press conference that he agreed that the August 20 celebrations of the foundation of the Hungarian state were one of the most important events for the country “this amount of money cannot be spent when the state is otherwise defunct in practically all areas of life.”

He pointed out inadequate air conditioning in hospitals causing postponement of surgeries, financial difficulties of thousands of families with the school-start for their children and cuts in the central budget affecting the financing of public transport.

Barkóczi said that part of the 15 billion forints should be spent to remedy those problems.

August 20 - Flag Raised at Parliament Under Military Honours

Hungary’s national flag was raised under military honours at an event attended by President Tamás Sulyok at Parliament to mark the August 20 national holiday.

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky told the event that “some forces today expect to gain profits and power from war” but Hungarians want peace and “our generation” gets its share of the efforts to defend the country.

“No country and nation can neglect this, the most important duty to itself, because any country and nation can only exist if it defends its borders, citizens, faith, language and culture,” he added.

The event was also attended by House Speaker László Kövér, government members and representatives of state and military organisations. An air parade was held by the Hungarian military over the river Danube after the event.



Meanwhile: Hungary's History Proof That 'War Is Against Our Interest', Says Gulyás

Hungary’s thousand-year history has proven that “war is against our interest”, and it is not its conquests that Hungary is proud of but its wars of independence, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday.

Gergely Gulyás told an event including an awards ceremony marking the August 20 national holiday that during a thousand years, Hungarians had witnessed centuries of peace, wars and internecine wars, and “the second half of the millennium was dedicated to the Hungarian state’s fight for survival”.

Hungary’s heydays were not linked to colonialism but to the periods of independence and freedom, he said, adding that it was “a firm foundation and immovable goal” ever since King Saint Stephen that “Hungary’s fate must be decided in Hungary.”

“We are proud that a thousand years ago, Saint Stephen placed the Hungarian state on a firm foundation and made it a part of Christian Europe”, Gulyás said.

Kovács: Hundreds of Thousands Attend National Holiday Programmes in Budapest

Several hundred thousand people attended programmes of the August 20 national holiday and watched the evening fireworks show in Budapest, state secretary Zoltán Kovács, who heads the operative staff coordinating the events, said on Facebook.

Kovács noted that the evening show had been postponed by one hour due to the weather, and thanked spectators for their patience.

He added that all programmes had been completed without major disturbances. He noted “the inconvenience and the delays caused by rain” but said that there had been no accidents during the programmes.

Until 11pm on Tuesday, the police had secured 324 programmes nationwide, Kovács said, and thanked the authorities and programme organisers for their efforts to make the events “safe and successful”.

Blinken Marks Hungary Natl Holiday

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday greeted Hungary, marking the country’s national holiday. In a statement issued by the US Department of State, Blinken congratulated Hungarians “commemorating more than a millennium of your nation’s rich history”.

“On this day of celebration, it is my hope that we can work towards a closer relationship between the United States and Hungary, rooted in democratic values, shared security, and prosperity. That is what the deep friendship between our peoples, and the rich history between our nations deserves,” the statement said.

Noting that Hungary became a NATO member 25 years ago, Blinken said “Hungary was welcomed into NATO because of its commitment to a democratic future. That commitment, like the deep bonds between our people, should be protected and form the bedrock of Hungary-United States relations.”

MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only

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