‘We can be justly proud to have had such a scholar as Zoltán Magyary, who can still give us good guidance,’ said András Levente Gál in Tata, at a wreath-laying ceremony at Zoltán Magyary’s statue on Thursday.

The Minister of State said that between the two world wars there was much debate concerning the efficiency of Hungarian public administration. From today's perspective, however, seeing the challenges of the present, we can say that Magyary’s era may be a good example to us. He continued by saying that, though not above criticism, Zoltán Magyary was a figure we can be proud of, and one who was able to steer Hungarian public administration in the right direction with high academic standards and patriotism.

The Minister of State said that Magyary realised that public administration and its staffing is a serious subject in its own right, and that therefore training to maintain future standards is necessary in order to progress. The Minister of State added that Zoltán Magyary was able to be a patriot while promoting the goals of the Hungarian nation, public administration and the State in three languages.

He was able to provide an international perspective, making him a patriot in the most modern sense. He was a university professor and government commissioner, but he did not retreat to an ivory tower, and his 1932 Rationalisation Plan and memoranda of 1941-42 on the reforms of central and regional public administration are works written in subtle yet readily understandable language.

The Minister of State emphasised that Magyary’s strength was that his works were understood by students, and thus he could make public administration and the State itself attractive to them. This is one type of foundation for democracy.

At the end of his speech the Minister of State said that we must be joyful to have figures like Zoltán Magyary as examples to follow. We should take some time to reflect on our debt to his life and work.

(kormany.hu)