Opening Speech at the Second Budapest Demographic Forum, Held in Conjunction with World Congress of Families XI

• Post by: TNF Editor
• May 25, 2017

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán On May 24-28 of this year, friends of the family from around the globe gathered in beautiful and historic Budapest, Hungary, for the Second Budapest Demographic Forum and World Congress of Families XI. The theme of the joint meeting was “Building Family-Friendly Nations: Making Families Strong Again,” and demography was a predominant theme. Hungary has been the home of some of the most innovative family-strengthening policies in contemporary Europe, including some truly admirable programs aimed at increasing the birthrate (see the essay by Katalin Novák, “The Spirit, Tools, and Results of Hungary’s Family Policy,” The Natural Family 31.1, 2017). It is fitting that in an issue devoted to demography, we here reproduce the opening speech, given by Hungary’s Prime Minster Viktor Orbán, with permission from the Prime Minister’s office. Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. May I just repeat what the State Secretary was so kind to say that we Hungarians welcome all of you wholeheartedly here in our capital and we hope you will enjoy your stay with us? One of the consequences of being Prime Minister is that you are forced to speak your native language. May I just help you to enjoy the wonderful tone of Hungarian in the forthcoming several minutes? Allow me to welcome you, Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning. I am pleased to have the honour to be here at the Budapest Demographic Forum, which is being held for the second time. Allow me to welcome you all on behalf of the Hungarian government. But first allow me to address you as a European politician. In 2015, when we last met, Europe was under siege. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants were wandering along the Balkans route towards the interior of the European Union: the territories of the richer countries. Now, after two years, the machinery which has kept this enormous flow of people moving appears to be grinding to a halt. Thanks to the courage and persever