Parliamentary Assembly

Mr President, Mr Secretary General, ladies and gentlemen, to me politics is all about people. The art of governing begins precisely with human rights. This is why it is a particular pleasure for me to be here today at the invitation of the Council of Europe, the institution that was specially set up to protect human rights. I thank you for this honour.

I am representing a country which, almost fifteen years after the change of regime and thanks to the work of four different governments, is now a democratic law-based state with a competitive market economy. A modern Republic of Hungary will be definitively resuming its place in Europe next spring.

I say “resuming its place” because throughout its centuries of existence as a nation Hungary has always been part of Europe. At the turn of the last millennium St Stephen, the first King of Hungary, converted to Christianity and at the same time founded a European state. Thanks to its diligence, competitiveness and the European values which it has consistently embraced, Hungary has often been among the most progressive nations on our continent. This was the case, for instance, when in 1222, seven years after England, our King Andrew II enacted the second written constitution in Europe, the Golden Bull. This basic law, remarkable for its time, provided the seedbed for the rule of law in Hungary.

Mr President, I would like to briefly digress and say how touched I was to see that document on the wall in your office. I consider it a sign of interest and friendship, and was delighted to witness this.

Hungary is coming back to Europe after proving several more times during the twentieth century that Europe is its home. Two extremist dictatorships have soured the destiny of the Hungarian people. And yet neither of these dictatorships could divert it from its natural community of interests with Europe. The third Republic of Hungary that emerged immediately after the change of regime definitively committed itself to democracy, the market economy and the rule of law.

Even during the cold war our country managed to make itself heard on two occasions in favour of Europe and human rights. In 1956 the Magyar people attempted to restore democracy in the face of 4 000 Soviet tanks: this attempt was unsuccessful at the time. There was something else that surprised and touched me; coming into this room, I saw that our 1956 flag was on display, which bears witness to your interest for this historic episode. In 1989, during the peaceful change of regime, it was Hungary that began tearing down the Berlin Wall. Its role in the dismantling of the iron curtain gave fresh impetus to the establishment of the rule of law in the country.

Today, a free and independent Hungary is re-joining Europe of its own volition. Its admission to the Council of Europe around ten years ago was an important step along the road leading to Europe, because Hungarians want to live in a Europe in which peace, security, human rights and equal opportunities are decisive factors, in which performance and solidarity go together, in which success is a virtue but poverty no matter for shame, and in which the most successful bear the most responsibility.

If equal opportunities are to prevail, we need security in the international environment. We need a world in which our children can grow up in safety. I am convinced that one of our primary tasks is precisely to create such security in the home, in the streets, everywhere in Europe and the world. This explains the crucial importance of adopting effective and continuous measures against all threats to this security, against terrorism. This is the spirit in which Hungary is contributing to international co-operation in this field.

Honourable Assembly, we all need Europe. We need a Europe that can successfully represent its solid values in the world. I have spent much of my life in the business world. I have learnt that in order to be a good manager one needs a sound base. If Europe is to emerge as a good manager in international politics, we must first of all put our own house in order. This requires effective institutions that function smoothly. After Strasbourg I shall be going to Rome to attend the Intergovernmental Conference, at which I shall be representing Hungary as a nation that now has full member status.

After the success of the Convention, I am expecting this conference to conduct efficient business. The draft constitutional treaty is a good basis for negotiations. During these talks my government will be holding to three basic principles. First of all, the European Union must be effective and well coordinated, able to act at the international level. Second, it is in the interests of the whole continent to preserve legal equality among all member states. This is why the Commission must maintain the principle of “one country, one commissioner” and we must clearly spell out the rules on the presidency of the Council. It is out of concern for efficiency that we would wish to reinforce Community methods while maintaining the institutional balance. Third, it is also important within the European Union to clearly establish human rights and the rights of minorities. We are consequently proposing the protection of national and ethnic minorities in the constitutional treaty.

One of my government’s aims is to ensure that Hungary can play a stabilising role in central Europe and the western Balkans. We consider that good relations with our neighbours and the European integration of the countries in the region constitute the keystone of stability there. We have come down in favour of Nato membership for Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. Once the conditions have been fulfilled, we would back the accession of Romania and Croatia to the European Union.

I consider the recent accession of Serbia and Montenegro to the Council of Europe a major step forward. Our task is to help the countries of the region, through our experience and with all the means at our disposal, to succeed in the democratic transformation of their societies and the reorganisation of their economies.

Co-operation can be meaningful only if it provides tangible results for all. This is why Hungary, under its general regional policy, has been providing free Hungarian visas for citizens from Ukraine and Serbia and Montenegro. It is vital and urgent that framework regulations on cross-border traffic on the periphery of the European Union are drawn up.

Europe is the home of minorities. This diversity is, at the same time, one of the continent’s great strengths. There is not a single country in Europe that does not have minorities. The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1201 are all major instruments whose guidelines are followed the length and breadth of Europe. This system of regulation needs ongoing revision, however. The latest Parliamentary Assembly report on the positive impact of regional self-government, and the rights of national minorities, merits attention. I am confident that, even after EU enlargement, the Council of Europe will manage to retain the role that it currently plays in protecting minorities.

Hungary is a typically European country even where its minorities are concerned. It has responsibilities towards these minorities, irrespective of whether they live inside or outside our national borders. The population of Hungary is ten million, and there are a further three million Hungarians living in neighbouring countries. The Hungarian Government follows three basic rules when it comes to providing support for Hungarians living abroad. First, we help Hungarians living abroad to safeguard their national identity, to preserve their language and culture. In so doing, we aim to ensure that they lead fulfilled lives, in dignity, in the place where their parents and grandparents lived, in the place where they have their roots – that is, their native land. Second, we seek to provide this aid in co-operation with neighbouring country governments, thus further improving bilateral relations. Third, we believe it is important that the support given to Hungarian minorities be provided according to European standards, with the backing of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union.

It was with these principles in mind that we set about amending the law on benefits granted to Hungarians living abroad, the earlier version of which was no longer appropriate. In so doing, we have sought to align this law with Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 1335, with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the European Commission. Last week, in Bucharest, I signed an agreement in which my Romanian counterpart and I managed to iron out all the contentious issues arising from this law. Talks are under way with other neighbouring countries as well, notably Slovakia, and there is a good chance that these will lead to an agreement in the not-too- distant future.

As I have just explained, the welfare of minorities living inside Hungary is also of crucial importance to us, and a subject close to our hearts.

The social integration of the Roma in Hungary is not merely a matter of protecting minorities. Unless there are major improvements in the lot of the Roma community, enabling them to catch up with the rest of society, Hungary cannot hope to become a modern European state. It is important to realise that non-discrimination, while it is an achievement in itself, is not enough. We must also provide opportunities for learning, employment, participation in public life, and offer ideals to which people can aspire. I felt it was important to make a personal contribution here, so when the present government took office, we set up a Roma Affairs Bureau under the supervision of a state secretary, who is present here today and is very active in the integration of Roma in Hungary. In this way we award grants worth a total of €4 million, mainly to pupils of Roma origin.

Integrating the Roma into society has become one of the main aims of our national development plan. My Secretary of State, when I was preparing for this meeting, added that we had done a lot to offer as many job opportunities as possible to Roma – an essential issue.

The existing law on the rights of national and ethnic minorities marked a new stage in the protection of these minorities, and the introduction of elected self-governing minority councils. The Roma-elected bodies, indeed, have now become training grounds for the new generation of Roma politicians, preparing them for public life.

I must be frank and sincere. What we have undertaken takes time and this problem will only be resolved over several generations. Nevertheless, one has to start somewhere. We have started, and we will see the results.

Narrowing the gap between the Roma and the rest of society is not something that Hungary can do on its own, however, and requires action at European or even international level. It was with this in mind that my government decided to host a regional conference in Budapest entitled “Roma in an expanding Europe”. Allow me to repeat what I said then: I am in favour of the idea of creating a European Roma forum.

The Council of Europe’s activities aimed at protecting minorities are extremely important in my view. It gives me great pleasure, therefore, to offer the Hungarian Government’s assistance in setting up, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, a European centre in Budapest for national and ethnic minorities. I believe it is important that this centre, besides exploring the scientific aspects of the rights of traditional national minorities, should also look at the problems facing new migrant minorities.

Still on the subject of social policy, the decision to appoint a female minister for equal opportunities in Hungary was an expression of my own personal commitment. Thanks to her endeavours, the parliament will be in a position to adopt the Law on Equal Opportunities by the end of the current year. Action has also been taken to speed up the implementation of the programme designed to alleviate the problems facing people with disabilities.

At the beginning of my speech, I made the point that politics was about people. The history of Europe, so rich in diversity, has been punctuated by numerous bloody conflicts. The problem with history is that, unlike a stage play, it is impossible to act out the same event twice. In real life, there is no such thing as good performances and bad performances. We only get one crack of the whip. Today, we are hopefully entering an era when there will be no more wars in Europe. For the first time in history, we in Europe have the chance to focus purely on things that matter. So let us seize this historic opportunity. Let us create opportunities, set about the task of enlightenment, eliminate social injustice and empower our citizens.

For Europe is not just a continent. Europe is also a spiritual entity. It is, indeed, not unlike this chamber in which we are gathered today, where different people, bristling with ideas, have come from various parts of the continent to work together. Your Organisation is a faithful reflection of this spirit, and is making a major contribution to our common future. I can safely say that the Council of Europe is now, and will continue to be, the living conscience of all Europe. Thank you for your attention.