Rego Lanszki said on Facebook that the cross erected at the base of the Statue of Liberty represented the nation’s shared remembrance, its struggles and "the national community built with faith".

He said the cross "fits organically into the composition that evokes our history and values".

"The history of Hungarian freedom is inseparable from Christian statehood," the state secretary said. "Those who deny this aren’t defending freedom but falsifying history."

In a statement on the ongoing renovations, Varkapitanysag Zrt, the company in charge of the revamp, said the renovated Citadel will be "freer and greener", the one-time Habsburg military fortress becoming a friendlier environment with flowers and greenery climbing its walls.

Visitors will be able to enter the fortress courtyard and the park from the Statue of Liberty overlooking the Danube from Gellert Hill. New observation terraces have also been created, among multiple changes, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony said: "The one who forced the cross into the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal does not respect, but is merely using this symbol."

"The cross cannot be a political cudgel," Karacsony said on Facebook. He said the decision to erect the cross there without the consent of the city and the estate of the monument’s designer constituted a "desecration of a symbol that’s important to many of us".

Karacsony said the city council had taken all the legal steps it could in the matter, but the district had rejected its request for property protection. Also, the heirs of designer Zsigmond Kisfaludy Strobl protested the erection of the cross, "but once again, the government wants to be Christian by ignoring everyone, abusing a symbol and changing a work of art for political reasons of the moment", the mayor said.

"The problem is not the cross but the abuse of the cross," Karacsony said. "And the disruption of the unity of a clean work of art that has become a symbol of the city ... by tinkering with it afterwards. And this is true even though I condemn as firmly as possible any effort that seeks to mutilate public works by removing religious or civilisational symbols."

 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

*********************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters

Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop:

As an independent portal we’re grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here.