In Vancouver on Saturday one hundred people took the oath of Hungarian citizenship, and a further three hundred took part in a commemoration event for the 1848 Revolution. Bence Rétvári, the Parliamentary Minister of State at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, also took part in the event.

Across Canada more than seven hundred people have applied for Hungarian citizenship, which indicates that those living there wish to strengthen and maintain their links with Hungary, despite enjoying higher living standards than those in the mother country; it also shows that very many Canadian citizens would also like to be Hungarians in the fullest possible sense.

Mr. Rétvári said that in the spirit of the National Avowal of the new Fundamental Law, Hungary shall protect the intellectual and spiritual unity of every part of the scattered nation; it shall bear responsibility for the fate of every Hungarian beyond the borders, supporting the continued existence of communities and their efforts to preserve their Hungarian identity. He paid tribute to the voluntary, independent and active work of the Hungarian community in Vancouver, and especially the operation of the local Hungarian Cultural Society.

Mr. Rétvári said that the Hungarian government will stand up for Hungarians under all circumstances in any part of the world. He also thanked Hungarians in Canada for standing by Hungary on a number of occasions recently.

He also referred to the fact that there is a striking difference between those who escaped to Canada in earlier decades in the face of a dictatorial regime and those who now claim to be refugees – while seeking only to take advantage of higher levels of social provision – or those who sadly seek to make political capital from their plan to relocate. This is all the more reason to celebrate the aspirations of the many more Hungarians living and working in Canada who wish to renew and strengthen their links with their mother country.

(kormany.hu)