The peace demonstration held near the town of Sopron on the Austrian-Hungarian border accelerated the collapse of the socialist regime and became a significant antecedent of the eastern expansion of the European Union, pointed out Minister for National Development Tamás Fellegi at the 22nd Anniversary of the Pan-European Picnic in Sopron on the 20 August 2011. The event, also attended by Minister of State for the Coordination of Development Policy, Ágnes Molnár, the Minister inaugurated the reconstructed Commemorative Pan-European Picnic Park.

The Pan-European Picnic organised near Lake Fertő on 19 August 1989 had a long-term impact on the entire Europe not expected by anyone, as it accelerated the collapse of the socialist regime, Tamás Fellegi recalled the events that took place 22 years ago. The Pan-European Picnic has become a permanent and historical symbol of Europe without borders and the creation of a common European consciousness. The Hungarian civil society of the age definitely opposed the expectations of those who bossed the country about, which was an extremely brave act, on the point of audacity, in the shadow of the Soviet Union, Mr Fellegi put it.

The incumbent government of Hungary also needs brave actions, he went on. Last year Hungary set out on the path of freedom and sovereignty, as the government’s decisions and actions placed the enforcement of national interests in the foreground, he added. During its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary proved that it was no longer a passive recipient but an active participant of the European politics and was able to adopt responsible decisions on its own destiny without fear, the Minister pointed out.

Hungary’s response to the internal political, economic and social conditions inherited after the change of government and to the dragged international crisis fitted the worldwide spread of patriotic economic policy. The government’s firm intention is to prove that it is possible to manage Hungary’s assets well, in a way that is visible, interpretable and perceptible for the community. In order to reinforce government participation, in cases justified by business and national economic considerations, the government appeared as an owner in strategic companies in order to efficiently enforce community interests, which superseded business logic, he added. In his speech he emphasised that during the past year of government, the standardisation of asset management and the renewal of development policy, the government managed to create the conditions required for the stabilisation of the national economy.

The Government monitors and analyses global processes, assesses their impacts on Hungary, and does everything in its power to prevent the Hungarian economy from being at others’ mercy. After his inaugural address, Tamás Fellegi handed over the renovated Commemorative Pan-European Picnic Park to the public.

(Ministry of National Development , Department of Communication)