Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Speech after Signing an Agreement with the Hungarian Hiking Association. (3 July 2013, Dobogókő)

Good Afternoon, My sincere greetings to you also, Ladies and Gentlemen.

My task is to tell you a few things about why I am here and why the Government has singed an agreement with you, hikers of Hungary. Several of the reasons have just been explained. I am very glad that we can welcome a young and agile individual at the helm of the hiking movement and in a position that coordinates its work in the person of Mr. Garancsi, but as we have heard from the previous speech and as can be seen from the age distribution of those standing behind us, the ancient political truth that originates from the time of Alexander the Great is still valid: we must come to an agreement with the old Macedonians. Otherwise, the war cannot be won. This is true. If we wish to raise tourism back to its old rank, if we want many people to once again feel themselves at home in this movement, if we want hiking to provide pleasure and happiness to many, many families, then we must indeed rely on the knowledge of the older generation, and we must do so sincerely. I would like to thank the older, let us say buffalos – if I may call them that – of this movement for having done me the honour of being here with us, and they mean a great encouragement to us, because their presence tells us that we have not set out to perform an impossible task. This social organisation, this way of life, this organisational culture enjoyed several heightened moments in Europe, and if you go into the museum, as I did so earlier, you can see that clearly. We have a history. And I would again draw everyone's attention to the thought that if we have reached the summit of a high peak once before, then our goal should not be to meander through rolling hills, but to again raise our lives to the standard we have already achieved, be it in sport or in economic life.

The main reason the Government is happy to sign this agreement is that it sees that there is solidarity within the trekking community, solidarity between old and young, between the older members and the newcomers, and if there is solidarity, then the Government will provide assistance with its own instruments, and every forint, every decree, every resolution, every asset that we will put at your disposal will produce returns many times over because of that solidarity. The second reason I was glad to sign this agreement, and we have touched on this a little earlier, is that of course work has an intrinsic value in itself and work provides pleasure in itself, but we would of course also like to achieve something through our work, and as we have heard, not everyone has the opportunity to travel to the world's exotic locations if they want a vacation, and so we must appreciate what we have. We must make what we have comfortable and accessible, whether it be our forests, our hiking trails or our beautiful Hungarian landscape, because there are many in this country who have the strength, not just the will, but also the strength to relax with their families as members of the Hungarian hiking community and to acquire beauty, experiences and a kind of family happiness, which human nature certainly requires. It is my view that now, although the trekking movement of course belongs to everybody, we have heard earlier that someone also has to push the cart, potentates, this is the word we heard earlier, I believe, meaning it is good that prestigious and wealthy people, people with power, are there behind the movement, but the real masses are not these people, but rather those Hungarians with a more modest financial situation for whom it is important and vital to their quality of life that opportunities are available to them here in Hungary. And accordingly it is very important, I could say from a social perspective, that the whole movement be in good condition and able to provide affordable services at a level of quality that rivals that of Austria.

And now for the third part of what I would like to tell you. What I have asked of everyone, whether leaders in sports or the directors of cultural life, is that we do not set ourselves minor objectives. I'm sure none of us would like to spend the rest of our lives explaining why it is that if we cross the border into Hungary from Austria, things seem worse here. For example, why are the hiking chalets worse? Why is the level of organisation of our hiking system worse? We don't want to spend our lives forever explaining what we are incapable of and why. What we want to show ourselves, and our children, is that despite all the difficulties we are capable of achieving great things. Here is this task, for instance. I'm sure you have also been to Austria, and you have seen the hiking chalets there, you know the system. And so what I suggest is that we set ourselves no lesser goal than that we also have a hiking chalet network of similar quality, which is just as well maintained and cared for, that we have a similarly well developed system of signs, that the authorities take equal care of these assets and the facilities that form part of public property, and that the people of Hungary take just as much pride in their own property and in public property as people do a little to the west of us. This is the objective. This agreement of course does not include all this as yet. Quite rightly. Because the agreement, as was correctly pointed out earlier, designates general guidelines, and I agree that articles should only be published in the press once something is actually achieved. Signing an agreement does not qualify as an achievement. This is what we call making a promise. I was in fact asked a little earlier if I had brought any money with me. I said I usually use promissory notes, to which the reply was that this clearly shows that governments still have a lot to do to enhance the reliability and credibility of the state.

The substance of what I am saying is that I would like to tell you a few things that are not included in the agreement, and with regard to which I feel it is important that they should be heard in the form of a kind of undertaking or promise. First of all, the Hungarian Government is committed, if the Association is capable of it, because we cannot achieve this on our own, but if the Association is capable of naming those facilities, buildings and areas of land that are currently public property and under the ownership of the state or state enterprises, and which it needs, would like to renovate and wishes to bring into operation, then first of all, the State of Hungary will put them at your disposal. Secondly: the Government will pay for renovation and will provide enough money to assure continued maintenance. I don't know exactly how many hostels or other accommodation this means – twenty, fifty, or a hundred? – but we shall open, renovate, maintain and assure the operation of as many as the Hiking Association designates. The third thing is that we undertake to introduce all the legislation that is required for the development of the system of signs that is a requirement for organised hiking, and to provide the necessary resources. The next thing, which is not an undertaking, but which I would like to put forward here as a modest attempt to restore trust in the Government, is that after all, three years ago I came to an agreement with Mr. Garancsi, and this is how he came to be a Prime Ministerial appointee, regarding the fact that we would put the state of bicycle routes in order. I don't claim that everything is fully in order, but if my calculations are correct then between 2010 and 2013 we constructed over 400 km of bicycle routes. And when we shook hands over our agreement we even managed to convince [Mayor of Budapest] István Tarlós, which is no easy task, that bicycles also have a place and a raison d'être in the city. We succeeded in sitting down with him and coming to an agreement, that if we look at how Budapest can be travelled around by bicycle and how it is possible to travel and live youthfully in the city, then it is clear that there is a cycling lifestyle and culture in Budapest. What I would like to say is that, although perhaps not with supersonic speed, but what we have put our minds to so far we have also set off on the path towards realisation.

And finally, a few words on why we have waited until now with these plans, after the Government was formed in 2010. You remember correctly that certain passages were included in the Government programme, but it is 2013 and we have reached this phase now. The fact that the facilities that serve hiking have fallen into disrepair is not the result of human negligence. Perhaps that was also a factor, but there is something more. A much greater problem. Our homeland has become weak. Things fell apart, we were poor and complained about what we cannot do and why, there was no solidarity, and under such circumstances the state of public property, of our common assets, always deteriorates. We can begin grappling with serious issues if we have the required strength. And the whole nation has struggled for the past three years so that Hungary could again become a strong country, but not because strength is a good thing in itself, although the flexing of biceps undoubtedly provides a certain aesthetic pleasure, but because the purpose of strength is for it to be used for something. For instance, so that good, old, beautiful things that are popular in Hungary may once again be brought into operation. This is what we need our strength for. This strength is now available both in the form of political will and financially. When I stand here and talk about the return, renovation and operation of hiking hostels, I do so with the knowledge that behind my words lies financial and economic collateral. Because the Hungarian economy, although perhaps not as strong as an ox for the moment, is much stronger than it was three years ago. It is now capable of creating the resources and assets that are required for the operation of a modern, 21st century Hungarian hiking system. This is why we have signed this agreement. I am glad to have had the opportunity to be here and wish you all good luck. I hope that we can all go to sleep tonight in the knowledge that today we have again done something good for all of us and for the country.

Thank you for your kind attention.

(Prime Minister's Office)