George H. W. Bush

Here is the translation of the speech by Viktor Orbán at the unveiling of the statue of George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States, in Budapest. (see refferences at the bottom)

October 27, 2020, Budapest

Your Excellency, Mr. Ambassador! Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear American Friends!

Szabadság tér. The Square of Freedom. A telling name. Especially now, as we are in the midst of the great week of the 1956 Revolution. But we Hungarians also remember that on October 6, 1849, in the courtyard of the barracks that once stood here, the first Hungarian Prime Minister was executed. The first Prime Minister of Hungary ended his life before the firing squad of the occupiers. This is a clear message to all his successors. For those who may not fully grasp it, on one side of the square stands a monument to the German occupation, and on the other, a monument to the Soviet occupation. This, too, is a clear message: if you are Hungarian, you have only two choices—you either stand with the occupiers or with freedom.

Dear Guests!

And here stands the Embassy of the United States of America. Hungarians have always thought of America as the homeland of freedom. We never believed it to be a flawless country—which one is, not even our own, though we live and die for it. But every Hungarian knows that America is the land of freedom, which warmly welcomed Kossuth and, in this very building, provided refuge for our confessor Cardinal, József Mindszenty, for fifteen years. Hungarians also know that one of America’s brave sons, General Harry Hill Bandholtz, whose statue also stands nearby, once chased away with a riding crop the occupying soldiers who were preparing to loot the National Museum in 1919. And we will never forget that the doors of this house were always open to the youth who sought to change the system, thanks to the personal commitment of Ambassador Mark Palmer. Today, we are here to pay tribute with a statue to our friend, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States.

Your Excellency, Mr. Ambassador! Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen!

Here in this square stand two men from America who together waged a battle against global communism. On that stormy summer evening when George H. W. Bush arrived at Kossuth tér, this is exactly what we asked of him. We wrote on the banner welcoming him: "Free us from Yalta." And he supported this. The dream of freedom and independence for the peoples of Central Europe was also his dream. He understood that no matter what the comrades inside told him, we Hungarians did not want to strike a more favorable deal with the Soviet Union—we wanted to break away from it. We did not want to make communism more comfortable with American money—we wanted to overthrow it. We did not want to move closer to the free world—we wanted to become part of it. And when I spoke with him then, I could see that the President was also aware of how long we Hungarians had been waiting for this. Since 1956.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen!

"George Bush was a great blessing." This is the fitting summary of what his presidency meant for the world, for Europe, and for our homeland. A fitting statement. Moreover, it was said by a German, Chancellor Helmut Kohl. And he was not alone in this opinion. He spoke from the heart. Many of us in Europe at the time felt the same way. We believed that the United States, led by him, would not let us down. As he promised when he spoke to us about a free world just a few meters from here, at Kossuth tér. His words carried the weight of a contract. Old school—and he kept his word. He was a tough man. He fought as the youngest pilot in the Navy, achieved brilliant success in the business world, and after several electoral defeats in the political arena, he rose to the positions of Congressman, Vice President, and finally, President. He was a man who did not want things to just happen to him. He worked hard to achieve what he wanted and to do what he believed was right. Without him, Chancellor Kohl could not have united Germany. I well remember the debates of the time; they had to contend with the leaders of many European countries who saw the existing order as the foundation of their own security, influence, and prosperity. History has vindicated the bold actions of Bush and Kohl. Within a few years, everything that was artificial and without tradition fell apart, and everything with strong and deep roots came back to life and flourished. After Germany, the reunification of Europe also took place.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear Mr. Ambassador!

"Freedom, happiness, and a long life"—this is what George H. W. Bush said when, during his 1989 visit, a little girl asked him what three things he would wish for Hungarian children. Freedom, happiness, and a long life. May it be so! God bless America and Hungary!

(AI translation)