1989 – The Year Of Change

Before the event, Dr. Tamás Magyarics, Executive Vice President of the International Centre for Democratic Transition (ICDT) said upon the inquiry of honvedelem.hu: the key aim of the conference is to recall the events taking place two decades ago, a part of which have been forgotten already, unfortunately. In addition to that, they would like to keep the spirit of 1989 alive.

In his opening address Dr. István Gyarmati, President of ICDT emphasized: the organizers of the event believed that twenty years after the change of the political system it is practical, appropriate, and useful to organize such a conference. The venue was not a coincidence either, for the first Hungarian national assembly held sessions in this building.

At the conference – attended by the widow of late Prime Minister József Antall, and Iván Vitányi, the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Democracy, among others – Minister of Defence Dr. Imre Szekeres delivered the opening speech.

Imre Szekeres said he is proud of the fact that Hungary was one of the driving forces of the change of system. In 1989, Hungary was the first to reach consensus, which created a basis for the change. The authorities and the opposition which was already spreading its wings agreed on the transition to democracy and market economy in the framework of negotiations.

– Those Hungarian politicians from the membership of the state party, including myself, who wanted the change of system, did not go over from one side of the barricade to the other. This is not what happened! We pulled down this barricade together with the powers of the change of system, but first we offered each other our hands above it. We did not start to pull it down, for we wanted to change our own existing system in the first place. We wanted more freedom and more prosperity. The road was long until we realized that within the framework of the existing Socialism, there is no opportunity for that. We were born, raised, and socialized in that. And it took quite a while indeed until we comprehended that the global experience called Socialism did not succeed – emphasized Imre Szekeres.

The head of the defence portfolio underlined: fortunately, the reformers of the period were wise enough to make changes, had enough energy to start all over again, and they were open enough to represent leftist values in the democratic environment. This is what made it possible for him, too, to move up from the second line of the old regime – from the position of vice president of the local council of a provincial town – to be one of the reformers to initiate democratic transition, and to fill honourable positions in the Hungarian National Assembly and in the governments of the Republic of Hungary in the past twenty years, still as a left-wing politician.

– For in 1989, it was not only the Hungarian status quo that turned upside down; not in the first place, actually. We were witnesses of the Soviet Union losing its strength and falling to many pieces, the Warsaw Pact losing its purpose, and the appreciation of NATO. Due to the vivid memory of the oppressive past, the Soviet-type alliance gathering countries which were not equal as regards their status, the states that chose the road of democratization embraced the policy of non-alignment after the transformation, but it soon became obvious that they are not capable of guaranteeing their security independently. Therefore they entered the peace partnership program with pleasure, which is considered the anteroom of NATO, and exactly ten years ago, the first three states – our country, the Czech Republic, and Poland – joined NATO – the minister emphasized.

As Imre Szekeres said, twenty years after the change of the Central Eastern European regimes crisis has taken over the leading role once again. The global financial and economic criris, which in all probability will entail a significant decline in the sense of security of the people. And this is happening in times when the chances for the escalation of an armed conflict are the smallest. But today we already know that the expression sense of security does not only mean military issues. The security of human rights, financial affairs, energy supply, information and technology, demography and civilization, public health and the environment also belong here. And this has to be provided in times when the atmosphere of mistrust is spreading in the world, and many might fall victims to the illusion that a country can lock itself away and disregard the impacts of the crisis.

– The example of 1989 shows the opposite. Joining forces and solidarity made it possible for our countries to set out on the road leading towards democratization. We have learned from each other and encouraged each other, and with the help of western politicians, we have transformed the east step by step. I am convinced that we do not have any other option now but to join our forces. For problems today are global, and require a global solution – said Imre Szekeres, adding: as a politician, he believes if we want more, greater security, then we need a stronger NATO. The alliance which has managed to be effective in the past two decade, despite perpetual constraint of consensus. The one which has created peace in the Balkans, and combatted the Taliban regime supporting terror in Afghanistan.

As a closure of the opening panel of the conference, Iván Vitányi delivered his speech and emphasized: twenty years after the change of the system, the time has come for us to remember, and draw conclusions. Since twenty years ago the system changing countries achieved enormous results.

– Yes, we have entered Europe! We have accomplished what the countries of the region have always sought. Today we are full members of the European Union – said Iván Vitányi, adding: a major political change like the change of the system does not happen overnight.

The Chair of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Democracy emphasized: in the opinion of renowned social scientist Ralph Dahrendorf, in the course of transformation various processes begin in politics, economy, as well as in social existence. According to Dahrendorf political existence changes in five months’ time. Considering the history of Hungary, in five months the democratic institutional system had been established. The social scientist said: the transformation of the economy takes five years. In Hungary, in five years we had moved from ’command economy’ based on the Soviet example, to regular market economy. Nevertheless, Dahrendorf said the transformation of society takes sixty years.

– When in the early 1990s I read this, I said: it does not have to take sixty years. I could not state this so firmly today. Back then I believed twenty years would be enough, but today we can see that it was not enough. It would be nice if we could accelerate the process and disprove Dahlendorf. If transformation would not take sixty years, and thirty would suffice. The current crisis, together with all its horrors, multiplies our troubles, but at the same time perhaps it is giving us the signal that these steps have to be taken – said Iván Vitányi.

The conference titled "1989 – The Year of Change" continued with the presentations of politicians, scientists and journalists who have experienced and participated in the events. Among others, the speakers included former Minister of Foreign Affairs Géza Jeszenszky, Marcus Merkel, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the German Democratic Republic, and former ambassadors accredited to Budapest.