The development of the Hungarian countryside is not possible without the realization of the idea of Central European unity, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared on Tuesday at Tornyosnémeti.
At the handover of the M30 expressway connecting Miskolc and Kassa, the Prime Minister highlighted: if there is Central European cooperation, then the Hungarian countryside can also prosper.
What we want is "not simply a prosperous rural Hungary, but a strong Central Europe", which is strong enough to defend itself against such unnatural interventions, the consequences of which are still felt today, he said.
He emphasized: in order to achieve this goal, roads must be built that connect different parts of the countryside, bring rural people to the big city, connect Hungarians in the motherland, Hungarians across the border, and connect the peoples of the region. The road that has just been handed over also serves this purpose, he pointed out.
Viktor Orbán explained: in the past, Kassa was the main focal point for trade leading to Poland, it was a very important route, and it was possible to operate a major international route without having to touch the capital. It is difficult for us post-Trianon Hungarians to imagine this, he added.
The Prime Minister believes that we need to reform our thinking in order to realize that we are entering an era when routes should not be planned starting from Budapest, but we have the old natural, cohesive regions that are worth connecting.
The Prime Minister stated: this was a prosperous region until the great powers broke it apart after the First World War. The mission of our generation is to try to piece together what was torn apart by foreigners and great powers, he said. He added: if we do not do this, the characteristics of the Hungarian countryside will not prevail.
He stressed: however, we collide with borders everywhere, so the prosperity of the Hungarian countryside can only be imagined if we can connect the areas that now belong to different states. This means that the development of the Hungarian countryside is not possible without the realization of the idea of Central European unity, he said.
Viktor Orbán recalled: in 2010, three goals were set, the first of which was that all cities with county rights should be connected to the expressway network. The second goal was that every citizen of Hungary - no matter how small a settlement they live in - should have a way to reach the expressway network in no more than half an hour from their place of residence. And the third goal was that all expressways reach the national border and connect Hungary with its neighbors, he listed.
He emphasized: huge forces and a lot of money were mobilized to achieve these goals. Since May 2010, 33 highway and other expressway sections, totaling 600 kilometers, have been handed over.
There are only three cities with county status that are not directly connected to the expressway network, in 2010 there were 9 of them - he reminded, noting that road construction works are also ongoing in the case of the three cities - Zalaegerszeg, Kaposvár and Békéscsaba.
He continued that 87 percent of Hungarians can connect to the expressway network within 30 minutes, this ratio was 60 percent in 2010.
As for the roads reaching the borders, before 2010 only three expressways reached the national border, today this number will be nine, and by 2025 it will be 11, he said.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (right) and Róbert Szász, the project manager of the Nemzeti Infrastructura Fejlsztő Zrt. (NIF Zrt.) cut the ribbon in the national color at the handover ceremony of the section of the M30 expressway connecting Miskolc with Kassa in Tornyosnémeti on October 26, 2021. From the right, Attila Róbert Nagy, CEO of the investor Nemzeti Infrastructure Fejlsztő Zrt., Zsófia Koncz (j2) and Richárd Hörcsik, representatives of the Fidesz parliament of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Benko Vivien Cher
The prime minister also said that the investment that has just been handed over will shorten the journey from Kassa to Miskolc by half an hour, the value of the investment is HUF 200 billion.
Between 2014 and 2020, HUF 700 billion came to the county, and if they win the next election, this number will be dwarfed by the developments that will be implemented here, he said.
He sees that thanks to the newly completed road, it will be easier for capital, goods and tourists to come here.
Viktor Orbán emphasized: no one knows what will happen in the world, the situation is rather confusing everywhere, and since Hungary cannot significantly influence the game of the largest nations, the only sure thing that makes sense and benefits us is to build Central Europe, we strengthen it.
With such developments, borders will only be political facts, everyday life can go on undisturbed, he explained. He added: this is not only in the interest of the Hungarians, but also of the other peoples of the region.
He said: with the handover of the road, an important step was taken for the development of the Hungarian countryside and the strengthening of Central Europe.
Source: magyarhirlap.hu/Orbán Viktor Facebook
