Foreign Minister János Martonyi participated in and held a lecture on the symposium on “Otto von Habsburg as a Christian politician”, which was organised in the Austrian Historical Institute in Rome on 24 January 2012. Among others, Rocco Buttiglione, Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Wolfgang Schüssel, former Chancellor of Austria gave speeches, and several members of the Habsburg family were present as well.

In his lecture, the head of Hungarian diplomacy appreciated the significant 20th century political work of Otto von Habsburg and – in particular – his European commitment, through which new meaning was given to the historical heritage of his family. The Minister recalled the period of the politician’s career, in which he worked for unity within the framework of the Paneuropean Union and the European Parliament. Mr Martonyi emphasised that during the Cold War Otto von Habsburg had undertaken the representation of the nations which were closed behind the Iron Curtain, but which he firmly proclaimed to have a place in a united Europe. The Minister evaluated the politician’s participation and role in the breakdown of the Iron Curtain and in the organisation of the memorable Pan-European Picnic held in 1989 in Sopron (Hungary) as historic acts.

Foreign Minister János Martonyi explained that after the political transformation Otto von Habsburg had embodied for several people in Hungary the Europe to which we had always wished to belong, which is loyal to its roots and values, which puts subsidiarity and solidarity into practice, respects everybody’s opinion, always finds common points in case of differences. In the European Union, the nations of Central Europe have found each other again, in which Otto von Habsburg played a significant part. He could live to see the closure of the EU’s accession negotiations with Croatia, which is of particular importance, as it was achieved by the Hungarian EU Presidency.

The head of Hungarian diplomacy expressed his conviction that Otto von Habsburg’s whole Christian political heritage is worth of being acknowledged as ours in today’s Hungary, Central Europe, and European Union.

(kormany.hu)