Hungary’s freedom was given back 30 years ago

Hungary’s freedom was successfully restored thirty years ago, the prime minister’s chief of staff said on Saturday, handing over state awards usually awarded on the March 15 national holiday, postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Despite the crushing of the anti-Soviet revolution of 1956, Hungarians never gave up hopes for a free and independent country, Gergely Gulyás said.

A 9-year-old’s photos of the 1956 Hungarian revolution in Budapest

The 1989-1990 change in political system was the only exception to historic turning points of the 20th century which all involved loss and sacrifice, he said.

Freedom in the past thirty years enabled the fulfillment of many national aspirations, he added, citing as an example the expansion in the number of Hungarians to 11 million compared with 10 million some 11 years ago, thanks to the government’s decision to award citizenship to Hungarians in neighbouring countries.