A planned statue in Budapest's Szabadság Square will not be part of the Holocaust 70th anniversary memorial year events, but will stand as a memento of Hungary losing its sovereignty after the occupation by German troops, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said on Friday.

He stated that "The Hungarian Holocaust, including the Hungarian state's responsibility and the loss of the country's sovereignty as a result of the occupation are all unchangeable facts of our history".

The setting up of the monument was not a decision of the Hungarian Holocaust-2014 Memorial Committee, he stated. The Ministry of Public Administration and Justice submitted the proposal in line with a government decision which gave the project priority status as a result of the timing considerations, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

He emphasised that if some use the tragedies of the past to whip up political emotions in the present, then the Hungarian state will protect its citizens. He highlighted that it was during previous governments that Nazi organisations were able to march in the Buda Castle without retribution and it was possible to set up guards and other semi-military organisations without much resistance.

The Government’s decision to set up the monument will help social dialogue, learning about the past and dealing with the responsibility, he added.

(Prime Minister's Office)