“Be proud, very proud of your military ancestors! Those who have defended this land for centuries and died for it if necessary. They have proven their commitment to their country by their deeds,” Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in his speech addressing freshly graduated military officers this morning at Kossuth tér.
“I know it's not an easy task in our times,” the minister said, adding that new graduates have been given a sword, signifying their profession, and a sword belt, symbolizing their rank and honor, in a time of great danger. “We are witnessing a mass migration of people that is subverting European culture,” Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.
Besides the migration pressure, the minister continued, not far from our borders, “a relentless and deadly war is raging, causing a world economic crisis. Great and middle powers are at odds, each seeking to negotiate by force of arms.”
“What we are witnessing now is the formation of a new world order. You must have only one goal, and that is to ensure the security of Hungary and your fellow countrymen. This is a great and demanding task in these uncertain times,” the minister said, underlining that it is the Hungarian government’s primary goal to provide all the necessary means for officers to succeed in their job.
“The acquisition of state-of-the-art weapons systems; the development of individual combat equipment; the large-scale, multi-stage salary improvements; the new system of military career models and training; and the billions of forints spent on the armed forces prove that the Hungarian Defence Forces have embarked on the path of development,” Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.
But, in the minister’s view, even state-of-the-art military equipment is worth nothing without soldiers who are willing to do what it takes to keep our country safe. “You must be the embodiment of the eternal military virtues of courage, honesty, obedience, loyalty, discipline, comradeship and self-sacrifice! I expect you to set an example of these at all times and in all places, both to your comrades and to your fellow citizens,” the defense minister said.
As the acting minister of defense, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, it is his duty to make sure that the officers of Hungary’s renewed military forces retain their honor and prestige. “It is my aim to ensure that when citizens see a military officer, they think with appreciative respect and love: He is our soldier,” the minister added.