Katalin Novák, Hungary’s first female head of state was inaugurated on Saturday.
The new president was nominated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the ruling Fidesz party, and elected by the outgoing Hungarian parliament before the election in April.
In her speech at Budapest’s Kossuth Square in front of the Parliament, the new head of state stressed:
As President, I will strengthen the Hungarian people through my personal convictions. Through a set of values based on Christianity, in encouraging the transmission of life, the upbringing of children in love, the protection of human life and the family. Respect for one another; encouragement for the weak.
The president stressed that after the torments of the 20th century, the 21st century envisages a better, more peaceful, and safer life for the Hungarian people. At the moment, however, a dark cloud casts a shadow, namely the war in neighboring Ukraine.
President Novák summed up her stance on the war in 10 points:
1. We condemn Putin’s aggression: the military attack on a sovereign country.
2. We forever say no to all efforts attempting to restore the Soviet Union.
3. We want peace in Hungary and in our neighboring countries. We want to win peace, not war.
4. This is not our war, but it is also waged against us. We demand the investigation and punishment of war crimes!
5. We are not neutral. We stand on the side of innocent victims and justice. We will fulfill our obligations as part of the EU and NATO.
6. We will not give up our sovereignty—which we have fought for so many times—under any circumstance.
7. We support Ukraine’s accession to the community of European countries.
8. Hungary is ready to make sacrifices for peace, but not to support decisions that would require greater sacrifices from the people of Hungary than they would cause pain to the Russian aggressor.
9. We are prepared to participate in the peace negotiations between the warring parties.
10. We have insisted on securing the rights of Hungarians living in Ukraine, and we will continue to do so now and after the war.
In her speech, Katalin Novák also announced her first foreign trip as president would be to Poland. She will meet Polish President Andrzej Duda on 17 May, 2022.
