Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Perhaps I should begin by thanking those who, until the end of the era that has now come to a close – that is until today – have ensured the preservation, operation and development of the Grassalkovich Palace. Of course the 40-billion-forint capital injection is a great help, and we can safely say that it marks the beginning of a new era; but we must acknowledge that if we had to start this work from scratch now, even 40 billion forints would not be enough. It has only been sufficient because those who have been responsible for the operation of this palace in the past have not only done their job, but – if I have read the reports correctly – have at times worked under circumstances that demanded heroism to ensure that today we can open a new chapter. So I would like to express my sincere gratitude not only to those who have led this work, but also to those who have worked here. I hear that today this palace has about a hundred or so employees; so I would like to thank not only the General Manager, but also the security guards and perhaps everyone else for their work.
[Minister of Construction and Transport] János Lázár opened today’s proceedings with a historical overview. This was fitting, because we often look back with envy on the nineteenth century, a time when life may have been difficult, but when there were always Hungarian people – often not just one or two – who were strong and wealthy enough to make donations for the benefit of the nation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Hungarian government does not want to be ashamed either. Over the past fifteen years we have carried out renovations that we have always celebrated individually; but we have never looked at them together, we have not yet run our eyes over the list as a whole. Today’s occasion is nevertheless a good opportunity for me to recall them. This is especially true because, amid the great upheavals of the twentieth century, Hungary lost its ability to preserve important national treasures through the efforts of major private donors – either on their own, or in cooperation with the state. Two wars ravaged us, so many times we lost everything, and so many times we had to start over again. Thus for many years there was no economic player in Hungary who could make donations from their private wealth for the benefit of the nation in a manner comparable to the customs of old. When these properties were in state hands, all that could be done was to house Soviet soldiers in them: “Make yourselves at home…” So the twentieth century was not a century in Hungarian architectural history which produced patrons. We are glad that this era has now come to an end. Today’s announcement is a sure sign that we have regained our strength and that there are wealthy Hungarians and large Hungarian companies that are able to put their wealth at the service of national causes. We owe special thanks to Sándor Csányi, who has taken the initiative to set an example with this generous donation of 20 billion forints. And the Government has joined this initiative.
Well, despite the time limitations, if we quickly run through the list of historic buildings that should be mentioned, we see the following. Buda Castle District, the Citadella, Visegrád: 638 billion forints. Religious buildings: the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Győr; the Basilica and Archbishop’s Palace in Eger; the Premonstratensian Abbey in Gödöllő – I would like to separately congratulate the Member of Parliament, and Minister, thank you very much for your work on behalf of Gödöllő; the Benedictine Abbey in Tihany; the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Esztergom; the Archdiocese of Veszprém; the Reformed Church in Kálvin tér, Budapest; Saint Michael’s Church in Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca; and the Synagogue in Szabadka/Subotica. Then the Academy of Music, the Opera House, and cross-border programmes. There is also the vernacular architecture programme, because life has not only a top, but also a bottom – life is not only above, but also below, and in the Hungarian world to this day there are not only aristocrats, but also folk elements. It is good that this is so, and it is good that we do not forget about them either. One of our most successful support programmes has been support for the vernacular architecture programme, of which I am personally proud. There is Bonchida/Bonțida Castle, Bethlen Castle in Keresd/Criș, and Kálnoky Castle in Sepsikőröspatak/Valea Crișului. I could go on and on, but I won’t.
I would just like to add that we owe a debt of gratitude to local governments, because over the past fifteen years they – together with local businesses cooperating with them – have contributed 66 billion forints from their own resources to protect our built heritage. János Lázár’s initiative, known as “the Palace Act”, deserves special recognition. We estimate that this initiative will result in an additional 82 billion forints being allocated to the protection of historic monuments. János Lázár’s ministry has also compiled the Government’s first thirty-five-year state investment framework programme. I can tell you that this includes forty-eight castles, palaces, manor houses or similar, and is worth a total value of 162 billion forints.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This renovation covers not only the historic building, but also the park belonging to it. If I have read the government proposals correctly, there will come a time when we will be able to see the palace and gardens as Queen Sisi saw them in 1867. I hope that you will have reason to invite me here then. I am at your disposal, and will gladly make a note of it in my calendar.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hungary is a thousand-year-old country. Buildings from olden times remind us that Hungarians are a creative people, and they also remind us that the active Hungarian nation of today, or the generations that make up the Hungarian nation, can only be worthy of their own history if they preserve it – if they preserve the past. You are surely familiar with the depressing and painful feeling we experience when we see our old buildings in a state of disrepair. We somehow feel that we are unworthy of the legacy of our ancestors. It is an unpleasant feeling: we feel worse, weaker, somehow less significant and smaller than our ancestors were. It is a disturbing feeling, and it is not good to live with it. This is why the Hungarian government’s intention to renovate these numerous historic buildings not only expresses its own will, but also, in my opinion, satisfies a deeply rooted popular instinct; because there is no generation that wants to be worse than those who came before it. And if we cannot even preserve old buildings, then in this comparison we will obviously lose.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On my way here I spoke with Chairman Csányi about what will happen here, because palace renovations offer experiences that are not only positive but also instructive, or rather negative. Of course these are then corrected, and in the end everything turns out well, but sometimes getting there is a long road. We have seen many renovations that are fantastic, or even breathtaking as buildings, but when you look at what happens inside you suddenly feel that things are not well thought out. So it is not enough to restore the walls: you also have to take care of the operation, the programme, the life that should continue inside and that should not be interrupted. All in all, I can say that last year the castles and palaces welcomed 2.5 million visitors. This means that people feel the need to make these historic buildings their own, to explore them and to walk around them. Since there are bankers among us, we need to talk about forints as well as aesthetics. These 2.5 million visitors pitched in, if you like, revenue for the castles and palaces of 2.5 billion forints. This is starting to look quite good, and it is clear that if these historic buildings are well managed, they generate not only expenditure but also revenue.
Sorry to bore you so early in the morning, but there is another old story from Bavaria, where the Bavarian king built a turreted, fantastical castle which reminds us of Disney films. According to the financial records, this essentially bankrupted the Bavarian Kingdom’s budget, and so everyone thought that this unfortunate ruler was a numbskull who had acted irresponsibly. But not so long ago, a study was published describing and compiling Germany’s most successful investments from a historical perspective; and, lo and behold, it turned out that the King – I think he was called King Ludwig – was right after all. Because in this historical perspective, over a period of more than a hundred years, his castle had brought more money into the state coffers than any other public investment.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Therefore there is no need to be alarmed by the magnitude of the sum, because everyone can have great ideas about how to spend 40 billion forints. In a country with a history as rich as ours, there are always great ideas, but we must not be alarmed, because there are certainly more pressing daily expenses. But history and historical perspectives mean that if we do things right, these forints are not a luxury, not an expense, not money thrown away, but – in addition to preserving national assets – commercially sensible and appropriate investments. Furthermore, in the case of Grassalkovich Castle, Gödöllő’s attributes also played into our hands: the town is half an hour from Budapest, the surroundings are beautiful, its built heritage is rich, and one of the country’s best universities is located here – according to Sándor Csányi the best, but we will leave that debate for another time. This is the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which in the field of life sciences is ranked among the best 150 in the world. This was not always the case, as the Chairman has said. This is not what we are discussing now, but in parentheses I would like to note that one proof of the strategic success of our university reforms is the University of Gödöllő’s rise in international rankings. Although I do not think 150 is bad, why not the top ten? But that is another conversation, and we will discuss it with the Chairman later. In any case, things are falling into place nicely, because the foundation that maintains this university is also led by Sándor Csányi.
So we have tried to make the most of these circumstances, and we have succeeded. In truth, however, the first-person plural is not justified here, because it is actually János Lázár who we have to thank for conjuring up or pulling this whole thing together: somehow patching it, stitching it together, and then seeing it through to completion. Remember that Hungary is, after all, a nation of card players, and Ulti is a game played by three people: if someone has a good idea, two people will immediately team up to ruin it. This case was no different, but if the cards you have are good enough and you combine them well enough, you can overcome the resistance of two people – their doubled power, if you like. So, János, thank you very much for your work, and congratulations on this solution, which is truly one of a kind – and may even open a new chapter in the history of monument protection in Hungary.
To complete the picture, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are not starting from scratch. Some wings of the palace were renovated at the time of the earlier Hungarian Presidency of the European Union in 2011, and we also held European Council meetings here. At that time the only goal was to present ourselves in Europe in a dignified manner. Today our ambition is much greater: we want to take the place that we deserve. In Brussels the place that we deserve is generally understood. After all, the current Hungarian government and its approach have a hallmark. This hallmark is that we cannot support Brussels’ imperial ambitions, which run counter to national sovereignty: we shall only support Brussels’ ambitions insofar as they do not conflict with Hungarian sovereignty and Hungarian aspirations.
But since 2011 it is not only we who have changed, and it is not only Hungary’s position that has changed significantly in the ranking of European nations: Europe itself has also changed a great deal. I remember standing here in 2011, when we opened the Presidency, and then we were taking over the Presidency of a European Union that, after the financial crisis, was confident and growing – or intending to grow. There was peace on the continent, and the major European nations were led by highly respected leaders: Chancellor Merkel was serving the German people, Berlusconi was the Italian prime minister, and President Sarkozy was serving France. Today, instead of peace there is war, and instead of growth there is economic stagnation. The situation in European politics is much worse than it was in 2011. But on such a beautiful and promising day let us not grieve – suffice to say that it is in the interest of Hungarians to preserve peace and not to send Hungarian money to Ukraine, but to spend it on Hungarians.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Many of us trust that the twenty-first century will be different from the previous century. It is a good sign that the country is once again able to provide the nation with great patrons, we have great private patrons, and we also have large national companies which, in addition to making a profit, feel it is their duty to help the community in which they create this economic value. They are therefore willing, as we have heard, to go beyond paying taxes – which, of course, Sándor, we must not forget about, 20 billion here, 20 billion there – and give back something to the community from the funds available to them as owners. Thus, from their own resources they are giving something back to the community for purposes that are important to the community. In many cases they represent not only financial strength, but also spiritual reinforcement.
I think it is difficult to imagine Gödöllő without Grassalkovich Palace. I believe that this money, as it arrives here now, will not only go to this estate, but also to Gödöllő. If I understand the spirit of Gödöllő correctly, I am convinced, Mayor Gémesi – whom I also greet with respect – that it is difficult for the people of Gödöllő to imagine their town without this palace; and for the people who live here the condition of this palace is, in a sense, a reflection of everything that surrounds and shapes their lives. And if what surrounds and shapes their lives is in order, then I am convinced that they will find it much easier to shape their own lives for their own benefit. So I hope that this development will also serve the interests of Gödöllő. We are not talking about child’s play here, because if I have read the programme correctly, we will be working here for nine years. So we are now setting out on a journey, and we will arrive nine years from now. I very much hope that we will have followers on this journey, and that Grassalkovich Palace and Gödöllő will not remain the only major public investment and built heritage rescue programme realised with outstanding patronage.
Once again, on behalf of the Hungarian government and on behalf of Hungarians who are not present here today, I would like to express my gratitude for the money and for its donation to this cause. I would like to thank the relevant members of state administration for organising all this, and I would like to thank the people of Gödöllő for being our partners in this. I would like to thank those who have worked here so far and who have brought the Palace to this point. I wish every success and good health to those who will take care of the Palace’s future from now on.
Thank you very much for your attention. Go Hungary, go Gödöllő! Go Grassalkovich!
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