The Quest for Freedom Unites All of Us

“1956 is an encounter with freedom, which belongs to the essence of man", pointed out Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende in his speech at the ceremony, adding that in happier eras the presence of freedom goes unnoticed in our life, being as natural to us as breathing. People have realized that they can achieve and experience freedom only together, the Minister noted. They all agreed in rejecting the dictatorship, in the necessity of gaining freedom and its value, even though Prime Minister Imre Nagy and the insurgents of Corvin Passage had rather different ideas about a post-revolution Hungary.

The Minister held up the lads and girls of Pest as an example, which shows us today how invaluable freedom can be – both on the individual and the national levels, being a value which is worth fighting for even these days. Dr. Csaba Hende stressed that the nation has entrusted its soldiers with the armed defence and protection of its freedom, and nowadays we have to develop a better military with less money available to do so. As he pointed out, in view of the tight budget and the economic environment, it is vital to ensure that the most effective use is made of the available resources. He also stressed that the tendency of losing capabilities was at last stopped in the recent period.

Furthermore, the Hungarian Defence Forces have acquired some new capabilities, and this process will continue into the future. The current top priority in this field may be the establishment and development of the volunteer reserve system, as a result of which the manpower of the Hungarian Defence Forces will have increased by 8,000 until 2014. The Minister also talked about the new HR strategy and the military career model.

The Minister stressed that today’s generations must also pay the price of freedom. 1956 has shown how invaluable freedom is – especially when we do not have it. “The Hungarian Defence Forces are committed to defend this freedom. On the eve of the holiday, my wish is that we can successfully fulfill our personal obligations arising from this commitment", Dr. Csaba Hende closed his speech.

The event continued with the handover of medals and tokens of appreciation. At the reception after the ceremony, Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő made a toast.

Photo: Mária Krasznai-Nehrebeczky

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