President János Áder has said that we must protect our borders because security is now a different matter to what it was ten years ago.
The president made the remakrs during his national day address at Sunday's celebration of Hungary’s St. Stephen’s Day national holiday.
“We must once again protect our borders and the independent, free and European country that, since the time of St. Stephen, has formed through the sacrifice, personality, and work of millions of Hungarians,” he said.
"After regaining our freedom almost three decades ago, we must again see that only what we are capable of protecting over and over again can be truly ours,” the president said, during the oath-taking ceremony of new soldiers at Kossuth Square.
“Every Hungarian citizen expects … our nation, home and personal lives to be safe and our freedom and independence to be protected in order to secure our common future,” President Áder added.
During the ceremony, Cardinal Péter Erdő, the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest who heads the Hungarian Catholic church, and pianist Tamás Vásáry were honored.
President Áder said those people were honored who, as people and Hungarians, enriched the world with their unique achievements, ideas and dedication for everyone.