Millionth Citizenship Oath Taken

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MILLIONTH CITIZENSHIP OATH TAKEN

A ceremony was held in which the millionth ethnic Hungarian was granted Hungarian citizenship under the government’s dual citizenship programme.

“We are now celebrating the unity of our political nation,” President János Áder said in his address at the ceremony in the presidential Sándor Palace, where Vojvodina farmer Miklós Lajkó and his wife took their oath of citizenship. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Speaker of Parliament László Kövér also attended. Lajkó and his wife “have shown us what being Hungarian means; they wanted to be Hungarian citizens because they consider themselves Hungarian, their mother tongue is Hungarian, they went to a Hungarian school and their ancestors were Hungarian,” the president said. “We, in the mother country, should do no more than thank them for all that, thank them for preserving the faith and love of the homeland from generation to generation; for loving in Hungarian, working in Hungarian, speaking Hungarian to their children and having Hungarian dreams,” the president said. The Hungarian parliament passed a government-initiated dual citizenship law in 2011 aimed at ensuring fast-track Hungarian citizenship for Hungarians living abroad, mostly to ethnic Hungarians in neighbouring countries.

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personally -- strength, thus making it capacity as NKE rector and the head of ‘NATIONAL CONSENSUS possible for us to successfully repel the national election committee. PREVAILS’ the attacks last night … that almost Patyi said he was shocked not only managed once again to undermine about the number of attacks but also Setting aside the views of extremist Hungary’s sovereignty.” “We prevented about “their crude nature which lack parties, a national consensus now the council from making decisions any professionalism”. He said attacks prevails on the issue of dual citizenship, that would have resulted in the against him conflated his roles as rector and Hungarians beyond the borders resettlement of foreigners in Hungary and head of the election office. This, who have become naturalised are as migrants. We managed to prevent he said, was borne out by a leaked part of the Hungarian nation in terms this, but in order to do this, we needed list of public figures in which he was of public law, the leader of the ruling the unanimous will of millions of singled out as someone who “prevents Fidesz party’s parliamentary group said Hungarians,” Orbán said. referendums”. LMP has made numerous at a news conference the day after the failed attempts to launch referendums millionth ethnic Hungarian took up UNIVERSITY HEAD SEES on the expansion of the Paks nuclear Hungarian citizenship. Gergely Gulyás ‘CONCERTED CAMPAIGN’ power plant, he noted. said naturalisation had brought about BEHIND LMP’S ‘ATTACKS’ Patyi said the NKE drew EU funding in a public bond between the parts of cooperation with at least fifty partners, the Hungarian nation that had become Responding to political opposition including 15 universities. Hadházy’s separated from the motherland and the accusations of financial impropriety, “empty attacks” were therefore “made Hungarian state. No longer is the validity András Patyi, the rector of the National against the scientific community”, he of extending dual citizenship debated, Public Service University (NKE), insisted. He dismissed the accusations even by those who had campaigned complained that he and the university regarding spending on “unnecessary against the move in the December were victims of a “concerted” smear research” and “overpricing”. NKE 2004 referendum, he said. “It is clear that campaign against them. does not employ subcontractors and nothing said at the time to alarm people Green opposition LMP co-leader the projects only make use of NKE has actually come to pass,” he added. Ákos Hadházy has accused the NKE of employees and other higher education soliciting EU funding multiple times institutions as well as government ORBÁN EXPRESSES for identical projects, overpricing offices, he added. THANKS TO PARTICIPANTS and unjustified spending. He said EU Patyi accused LMP of fabricating IN ‘NATIONAL auditors had raised the alarm over news of an EU audit. The EU only asked CONSULTATION’ “extremely serious abuses” suspected certain questions which the university at the university, adding that Patyi may answered, and the issue was closed, he Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed bear criminal responsibility. said. Patyi said LMP’s attacks would not thanks to those Hungarians who Patyi said in a statement at the prevent the university from continuing participated in the government’s weekend that the university “has its “diverse educational activities, “National Consultation” survey. nothing to hide” and was open to research and developments that aim In a video message posted on investigation. to improve the competitiveness of Facebook after the Brussels summit, LMP recently published a list of public Hungary’s public administration”. The he said: “I’d like to thank Hungarians figures that the party plans to make construction of the NKE Ludovika who participated in the national the subject of criminal proceedings, Campus will continue, he said. This consultation. They gave us -- and me and Patyi was on the list both in his includes revamping a one-time fencing

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club and building public sport facilities the press conference that most “human smugglers” organised illegal in Orczy Park where the university is global risks were linked to human migration in cooperation with NGOs, located, he added. activities and modes of prevention while German Chancellor Angela Hadházy said in response that if Patyi should be given more focus. Climate Merkel “extended a free invitation to had nothing to hide, then he should change, he warned, is connected migrants without asking her own fellow make public the questions raised by to natural disasters, terrorism and citizens or other member states.” the EU controllers and the university’s migration. He said hopefully the House Speaker László Kövér said responses concerning the use of EU new foundation would contribute in his address that the upcoming funds by the institution. In a statement, effectively to combatting global general election in Hungary could the LMP politician said that contrary risks and the consequences of “decide Europe’s fate”. He insisted to Patyi’s claims that LMP’s criticisms climate change. that Hungary’s position in Europe is were purely political, the authorities “stronger than the size of its population had started an investigation against SEMJÉN HIGHLIGHTS or the output of its economy” and the university for abuse of funds. RESPONSIBILITY therefore it is a crucial country for the At a press conference on May 8, FOR EUROPE EU to preserve “its Christian character”. the university’s leaders said they had That is why, he said, “Hungary is being published all documents concerning Zsolt Semjén, leader of the co-ruling attacked” by “certain institutions and development projects that had Christian Democratic party, highlighted bureaucrats” of the EU, most of whom come under attack on the university “responsibility for Europe’s future” in are “in the pockets of George Soros”. website. Patyi stated they involved no his address to the board of his party. “For some it is scandalous to refer irregularities. Semjén said “Brussels was to national history, traditions and a endangering Christian civilisation” national identity, to Christian roots or PRESIDENT ÁDER SETS UP and Christian values were being to stipulate that marriage is made for BLUE PLANET CLIMATE “deliberately destroyed by anti- life between a man and woman,” he PROTECTION FOUNDATION clerical, anti-family and anti- added. nationalist attitudes”. Referring to President János Áder announced “Jacobin, communist, liberal and BALOG CALLS ON EU the establishment of a Blue Planet 1968 ideologies”, Semjén said they COUNTRIES (Kék Bolygó) Foundation aimed at were rooted in free masonry and TO SHOW ‘APPROPRIATE preventing climate change. At a condemned “the relativisation of SOLIDARITY’ press conference, Áder said that the Christianity”. foundation was set up using nearly Semjén said a “demographic European Union member states 234,400 pounds sterling, left to the vacuum” was caused by a “deliberate should show “appropriate solidarity” Hungarian president by electrical destruction of the family” by in handling the migrant crisis, Zoltán engineer Miklós Balázs, who died “questioning motherhood or marriage Balog, Hungary’s minister of human in Manchester in 2013. According between man and woman”. As for anti- resources, told German public radio to Balázs’s will, the funds should be nationalism, he said that “Islam, which Deutschlandfunk. It is “incorrect” if used to the benefit of Hungarians. despises Europe, transgresses [the one restricts solidarity to the quota János Martonyi, Hungary’s former continent] like a knife through butter”. regime and makes moral judgments foreign minister and head of the Semjén blamed EU leaders for about “who is evil and who is good”, new foundation’s board, said at “helping migration” and insisted that he said. It should be asked why a “wise

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and always cooperative” personality a stable economy, with a growth Vona said that although the protesters like Donald Tusk has rejected quotas, rate belonging to the top third in held different views about the world, he insisted. The European Council the European Union, Gergely Gulyás they were bound together “by the love president has not adopted this position said in Keszthely, in south-western of freedom”. The Jobbik leader said “it is because “he has become evil” but Hungary. He noted record low interest not by accident that Viktor Orbán always because “he has realised something rates on loans and the 700,000 jobs pretends to be a freedom fighter while which others are unable to realise”, created during the period. Gulyás in reality he is stealing our freedom like Balog said. also highlighted significant progress a petty and cowardly thief”. He said that The minister said the migrant made in family policy and the policy under Orbán’s regime “taxpayers’ money crisis had emerged in 2015 because towards Hungarian communities has ceased to be public money, the EU member states, violating the beyond the border. “All governments media has lost its freedom, civil groups rules of the alliance, opened their make mistakes, but based on the have lost their independence and now borders. “Now they are trying achievements, the ruling Fidesz-KDNP Jobbik, the strongest opposition party, to remedy this error with the alliance can justifiably ask voters to is about to be liquidated”, making mandatory migrant resettlement support them next spring,” he said. reference to an official investigation quotas. But the regime fails to Gulyás noted the date of the election into financial impropriety. Jobbik is operate in either the Visegrad is regulated by the constitution and accused of having accepted over 330 countries or in Europe as a whole,” set by the president of the republic. million forints (over EUR 1m) in illegal he said. Accordingly, the vote will take place financing and the party is facing a fine Balog said Hungary was a pro-EU in April or May, he said. by the watchdog. Vona said that the country that wanted to contribute motivation behind levying a fine which to efforts to strengthen the bloc. JOBBIK STAGES DEMO he earlier said was around 660 million He noted that 80% of Hungarians AT FIDESZ HEADQUARTERS forints was “to sentence democracy to are in favour of the country’s EU death”. membership, the highest rate The radical nationalist Jobbik party held registered in any member state. a demonstration on Friday evening REFERENDUM BIDS to protest against what it called “the ON DECEMBER 24, SALARY GULYÁS: ACHIEVEMENTS, evolving dictatorial regime” of Prime CAP FAIL SECURITY AT HEART Minister Viktor Orbán and the State Audit OF FIDESZ’S 2018 Office’s (ÁSZ) recent effort “to sideline The National Election Committee ELECTION CAMPAIGN the party”. The torch-lit demonstration (NVB) rejected the referendum was held at the headquarters of ruling initiatives on declaring December 24 Ruling Fidesz will focus its campaign Fidesz near Heroes Square and attended a public holiday and setting a salary before next spring’s general election by 1,000 to 1,500 protesters. cap for state company managers. on the country’s achievements since Addressing the event, Jobbik leader Both initiatives failed as the number it came to power eight years ago Gábor Vona greeted the representatives of signatures collected falls short of and security challenges posed by of civil groups and other parties, the required limit, NVB head Ilona migration, the party’s parliamentary including Péter Juhász, leader of Pálffy said. group leader said. opposition Együtt, and András Fekete- Zoltán Bíró, the private individual Hungary was on the brink of Győr, leader of the Momentum party who initiated the referendum on financial collapse in 2010. Now it is founded this year. December 24, has collected 70,722

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signatures. Former opposition LMP which provisions of Hungary’s former commemoration in downtown lawmaker Gábor Vágó, who initiated labour code should be restored. Budapest to express solidarity with the referendum on a salary cap persecuted Christians throughout for state company managers, has LMP PM CANDIDATE the world. Addressing the event, collected 46,875 signatures, Pálffy URGES CHANGE Azbej Tristan, the deputy state said. secretary for aiding persecuted Under the relevant law, parliament Bernadett Szél, prime minister- Christians, noted that Hungary is obliged to call a referendum if at candidate of the opposition LMP had been the first country to take least 200,000 signatures have been party, called for “a new government, up the cause on government collected and has the option of new era and new directions” at a rally level over a year ago. Since then doing so if at least 100,000 signatures held ahead of Christmas. Szél insisted Hungary has sought out the most have been collected. those ideals are exclusively embraced effective ways of helping those in Further, the NVB has rejected five by the recently established alliance of need. proposed referendum questions, LMP and the Új Kezdet (New Start) including the Democratic party. She also said that the upcoming HUNGARY TO HOST Coalition’s initiative to revoke the election may be “the last chance to fix WORLD ROBOT OLYMPIAD voting rights of ethnic Hungarians Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s historic IN 2019 beyond the borders in Hungary’s mistake”. general elections. Further, the NVB Új Kezdet head György Gémesi Hungary will be the first country rejected a referendum initiative highlighted the importance of his in Europe to host the World Robot by the Hungarian Liberal Party party’s alliance with LMP, adding Olympiad (WRO) for young people, with three questions concerning that while other parties were only in 2019, the human resources the legalisation of cannabis, citing talking about joint programmes and ministry said. The Olympiad will conflict with international treaties, candidates “we made a decision and be held in Győr, in north-western ambiguity and the scope of did it”. Hungary, from November 8 to 10 parliament’s authority. with over 3,000 participants from The committee also rejected PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS 65 countries competing in four age a proposed referendum by the COMMEMORATED IN groups below 19 in the categories “Movement for Satisfied Hungary” for BUDAPEST of maths, sciences, technology and reintroducing the trade unions’ veto IT, Zoltán Szögi, head of Edutus rights. It argued that the submitted Fidelitas, the youth arm of College, the organiser of the event, question did not exactly specify ruling Fidesz, held a torch-lit said.

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