Tibor Navracsics has said that the Polish Constitution declares Central European identity. At a reception in Budapest on Monday marking Polish Constitution Day, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Justice also said that Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – the Visegrád Four (V4) – should now come together in the economic field.

In his address Mr. Navracsics stressed that the Polish Constitution is a model of Central European identity; in other words it shows the common struggle over the centuries for democracy and the attainment of constitutionalism. He said that in the context of the celebration one should also bear in mind that if the economic performance of Poland and Hungary were looked at as a single unit, the combined GDP would be the twentieth highest in the world; if one looked at the V4 countries as a whole, they would together be in fifteenth position. ‘Now is the time to come together, to work together, and to achieve great results,’ said the minister.

At the event, Roman Kowalski, Poland’s Ambassador to Hungary, said that commemorating the Constitution – adopted on 3 May 1791 – means a great deal to Poles, who are proud of the anniversary, as it reminds them of their role in the creation of modern Europe and modern democracy.

‘After over 200 years we Poles feel as if today we are returning to the challenge [...] which we faced when we created our Constitution – the world’s second basic law after that of the United States, and the first in Europe,’ said the Ambassador, who said that Polish-Hungarian relations have long been very warm. He referred to the fact that in 2011 the two countries took on consecutive rotating presidencies of the EU, and that now the same is true for the V4, as in July Hungary will take over the presidency baton from Poland.

He added that, not for the first time in the course of the two countries’ ‘exceptional and long friendship’, the many shared tasks of recent years have presented them with joint challenges.

The ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts was attended by, among others: former President of Hungary Pál Schmitt; Tünde Handó, President of the National Judicial Office; and several heads of foreign representations.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)