On the occasion of the national holiday of 15 March, Katalin Novák presented Kossuth- and Széchenyi-Awards and Hungarian Order of Merit honours
Our commitment to free and independent Hungary and the Hungarian nation has united us, Hungarians, generation after generation, for over a thousand years – President of Hungary Katalin Novák emphasized at the ceremony for Kossuth- and Széchenyi-Award winners and the recipients of the Hungarian Order of Merit honours.
She recalled: history taught the Hungarians that they must never lose sight of the interests of their country. Only we can see life and the world with the particular Hungarian eyes – she said.
"We, Hungarians, should build on what has preserved us for a thousand years: our Christian faith, the love of our nation, as these values can chart the course for the Hungarians in times of transformation, trouble and triumph alike " – she said, and went on to add: our past is not a museum, our present is not a moment without antecedents and consequences. Our pride in our deep roots, in our educated compatriots, is not an end, but the foundation of Hungary's future.
According to Katalin Novák, we live in times when upholding and renewing the triad of our personal, family and national identity, calling timeless values by their proper names and upholding them may mean not just a lifeline in the storms raging around us, but they may also prove to be the guarantee of our prosperity.
In praise of the award winners, she stressed that behind their scientific achievements, artistic works and public service lies a loyal love for their country. "We are proud of you and grateful to you for the professional standing and fame you have earned not only for yourselves and your families, but also for us, the entire Hungarian nation".
Katalin Novák drew attention to the parents who set the award winners on their path, the supportive and tolerant partners, the understanding children. She stressed that the family is our children's first school, the very first workshop that will launch new geniuses to conquer the world.
The President of Hungary turned to the awardees with a request; she asked them to use their prestige and potential for the Hungarian future, to pay attention to the spiritual development of the next generation, of our children, and to serve them with what they create.
"So that today, and tomorrow too, great Hungarian achievements may be created with which we pass on and renew the heritage of Széchenyi, Petőfi, Jókai, of the Hungarian scientists and the heroes of our culture. " – the Head of State emphasized.