“Hungarians of 1956 send a message to the 21st century that national identity, self-determination and self-respect are never dangers but rather resources” for any community, including Europe and the EU, Kövér said.

Europe will not be able to stay competitive on a global stage - on which identity is fast becoming a source of political and economic advantage— without its European identity of diverse national cultures built on its shared Christian foundations, the house speaker added.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group chose to stay away from the session, saying that they refused to celebrate with “a government that preaches unity but excludes the majority”.

The Socialist Party will not celebrate with a party that “spends ten years talking about police brutality” but “looks the other way when people get beaten up on a national holiday,” Bertalan Tóth, the party’s deputy group leader, told a news conference on Tuesday, referring to clashes between anti-government protestors and police in 2006 and last Sunday’s scuffles between antigovernment protestors and people attending state celebrations.

Lawmaker Lajos Korózs told the same press conference that his party could only be considered as being “true” to the legacy of 1956 if they “tear down” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “deceitful system of national cooperation” and create a “truly democratic, new Hungary”.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Illyés Tibor