‘It is fitting for our compatriot, who is also about to become a fellow citizen, to celebrate this here with us today,’ said Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for national priorities, at a press conference on Monday in the central domed hall of the Hungarian Parliament Building. He was greeting László Virág Balog – the hundred thousandth applicant for Hungarian citizenship in the simplified naturalisation procedure – and his family.

Mr. Semjén said: ‘We have reached the landmark of the one hundred thousandth citizenship application. Sixty-five per cent of these applications have already been processed, including not only public administration screening but also public safety and national security screening. Oath of citizenship ceremonies are being held continuously, and new developments will help this process flow even more easily’.

‘The original plan was for Mr. Balog’s two grandchildren to also participate in the celebration,’ Mr. Semjén said, ‘but their Serbian passports could not be validated in Belgrade for their visit to Budapest today. Therefore, I comforted our friends here with the fact that, after acquiring Hungarian citizenship, in the future they can all easily come to Budapest, as they have also applied for citizenship for their children and grandchildren.

‘An emotional Mr. Balog expressed his thanks thus: ‘I owe a great debt of gratitude to the Hungarian government, which has allowed us to become Hungarian citizens again, since I was born a Hungarian citizen.’

(kormany.hu)