A reconstructed statute commemorating Count Gyula Andrássy has been inaugurated in front of the Hungarian Parliament in Kossuth Square.
The 6.5-meter high bronze equestrian statue, the work of renowned Hungarian sculptor György Zala, was originally installed in 1906 but was demolished by the Communist authorities after 1945.
The monument in honor of Andrássy, prime minister between 1867 and 1871, was inaugurated by László Kövér, House Speaker.
“The reconstructed Andrássy statue will return to its original place in its former glory," he said, noting that its inauguration completes the process of restoring the pre-1944 look of the Square.
Andrássy saw politics as “the art of seizable opportunities”, Kövér said, adding that the emotion that motivated his policies was patriotism.
Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said the inauguration of the statue “gives Andrássy the recognition he deserves.”
In 1866, Gyula Andrássy was elected president of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with drawing up the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.
After his four-year term as prime minister, he served as the foreign minister of Austria-Hungary until 1879.
Parliament approved a decree on reconstructing Kossuth Square in 2011. The project began in 2013 and involved, among other things, building an underground car park, a visitor centre and a museum.