The health of young Hungarians is of prime importance to the government and their education in healthy lifestyles is Hungary’s number one national cause, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said.
During the inauguration ceremony of the first swimming pool constructed within the framework of the National Public Education Infrastructure Development Programme, the prime minister stressed that sport is the most suitable means for educating young people as it teaches them perseverance, a healthy lifestyle, an active life and honest competition, while it also creates communities.
“Hungary needs a strong, healthy, feisty and committed youth, and young people will fit that description if we, parents raise them to be like that," PM Orbán said.
The prime minister highlighted that the government is building gymnasiums, sports halls and swimming pools in every district center. By doing so, they give the next generation a chance to be worthy of their forefathers and to become strong enough to carry the country on their shoulders during the decades to come, he added.
PM Orbán said that a great problem of Europe is that there are not enough children on the continent, and at present Hungary, too, is struggling with this ailment. In his words, there are countries in Europe which seek to resort to external help in order to resolve the problem, in the form of migrants and immigrants. At the same time, he pointed out that there are other countries which have faith in themselves, and attempt to rise to this historical challenge by mobilizing their own internal reserves.
Hungary forms part of the latter countries. As long as this government is in office, whatever plans may be conceived in Brussels, we shall never resolve the problem of few children with migrants. “This is our ailment, our problem which we shall resolve," the prime minister stressed. He is convinced that there is sufficient vitality in the Hungarian people and families to rise to this task, and the country will be able to reverse this negative process.
This is why we need young people, PM Orbán continued, and this is why sports facilities are being built that facilitate the health-oriented education of children. The prime minister stressed that the swimming pools are built not only for children. According to the government’s calculations, they provide the opportunity to do sports for some 700,000 people. He confirmed that, in addition to the construction of the facilities, the state will also finance their maintenance.