My Friends and all honourable Hungarian citizens!
I cannot forget my first visit to Budapest in 1989, to the Congress of MBF, raising national flags with a hole in them, which then met the Lithuanian delegation of the Lithuanian Liberation movement Sajudis with unexpected for us enthusiasm as real brothers following our common new path of democracy and peoples‘ dignity.
I am happy to see you again – this large community of good will and of freedom-thirsty people. My greetings to you from Lithuania!
Next year you will celebrate the 160-th anniversary of the first Hungarian revolution, which came as a brightly erupting flame of your desired national liberty. If even in advance, now is a good time to remember those Hungarian milestones in the European history, as we just recently commemorated in Brussels and Vilnius your second revolution of 1956. In that more distant past of 1848 and 1849, Hungary was the highest flame of the Spring of Nations, all of them willing to destroy the ice-period and three imperial prisons of the-then Central and Eastern Europe. The proclaimed independent Republic of Hungary of the middle of the 19th century was for so many the torch of bravery and hope. One hundred years later Hungary courageously stepped forward again, confronting the last European empire - the totalitarian USSR. The light of hope and freedom and the flames of tragedy were seen across the entire campus of captive nations under the Soviet Communism. Those lights reached our minds and hearts in Lithuania, as well. We kept on remembering you during long decades, and we joined our will and efforts again in the late eighties - to finish with that slavery, to be free nations again.
As I look back at both Hungarian revolutions, I see there were astonishing similarities. Both of them were crushed down and drowned in blood by Russian armies acting under the orders of tsars. The same way in the 19th, as well as in the 20th century! Time did pass, but the same Eastern imperial force invaded Hungary twice to murder the liberty in the very heart of Europe. Fortunately, both – Hungary and Lithuania – met the 21st century as free states again, approaching together the door of NATO and the EU.
What is the situation for today, Hungarians?
A year or so ago, the new ruler of Russia visited your country with his own political project and promising you benefits. Your country could become an agent and a guard for storage of Russian energy distribution, as well as Eurasian trade centre inside the European Union. Budapest was provided as a satellite assisting the Kremlin to subordinate all Central Europeans, and with good profits for Hungary. The condition for such a grace was absolutely openly spoken out by Mr. Putin: this will happen, if your leftist Government, more appreciated by the Kremlin, stays in power. It was just before the spring elections. And the Hungarian electorate, together with your Government, took the hook. (It was not about you present here, of course.) One more condition was dictated - not to celebrate the Revolution of 1956 mentioning the Soviet aggression, crimes and responsibility. Stay indifferent, forget the losses.
You did not stay indifferent and you remembered the consequences.
Freedom is never given for granted. It must be defended not only in revolutions. Every day‘s battle against fear and other limitations of freedom is of no less importance. Now when Europe became endangered with limitations of freedom, dictated by a single energy supplyer, you country does appear on the crossroads of European history again. On one plate of the scales of values is Russian money, while on the other are the ideals of European solidarity and honesty. The choice is yours, Hungarians.
And the last point. I do not bring you any new information, as you have seen for yourselves and remember everything. I have brought you only my conviction, love and belief. Be courageous as you predecessors were, and liberty will prevail.
God bless Hungary!
Address at the rally to commemorate Hungarian revolution of 1848, Budapest, 2007 03 15
