Wolfgang Schüssel, the former Chancellor of Austria, received the Petőfi Award of the Central and Eastern European Foundation for Research in History and Society on Thursday, at a ceremony in the House of Terror Museum in Budapest.
Prime Minister Gergely Gulyás highlighted in his eulogy: Wolfgang Schüssel is a freedom fighter in his heart, who fights for freedom.
He recalled: In 1998, Wolfgang Schüssel opened the EU accession negotiations with Hungary. He was a reliable negotiator and supported Hungary's accession to the EU as quickly as possible.
Wolfgang Schüssel "represented the Europe we still wanted to join", but Europe had abandoned its centuries-old values. Today, Brussels is characterized by incompetence and unprincipledness, but the former chancellor was driven by his convictions, said Gergely Gulyás, who also emphasized that the Austrian politician went all out to strengthen the alliance of Central European countries.
Mária Schmidt, the director general of the House of Terror Museum, emphasized that the Petőfi Award has now gained a serious status, so far eighteen people of different nationalities and professions have received it, all of whom have in common that they worked for the whole of Europe. He stated: the awardees are people of spirit, respect and heart, who are reminiscent of Sándor Petőfi. Wolfgang Schüssel is a friend of Hungarians, he knows and recognizes Hungarians, he supports us, he is our ally, Mária Schmidt said, adding: the former chancellor is an Austrian patriot who respects our national pride.
Ferencz I. Szabolcs, the president and CEO of FGSZ Földgázszálló Zrt., called Wolfgang Schüssel a "boundless" politician and a true Central European, who is "one of the vanguards of regional cooperation" and "an emblematic figure of unity."
Thanking for the award, Wolfgang Schüssel spoke about how freedom and security are inextricably linked. In serious crises, we can only stand together, which is why we have to work together in the European Union, even if excessive centralization is palpable, said the former chancellor. He noted: it may seem strange that a "native Viennese" is given an award named after Sándor Petőfi, but the Viennese population was on the side of the Hungarians and freedom in 1848, against the Habsburgs.
Wolfgang Schüssel was the secretary of the parliamentary group of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) from 1968, and from 1975 to 1991 he was the general secretary of the party's business support organization, the Austrian Economic Association. Between 1979 and 1989 he was a member of the Austrian National Assembly, between 1989 and 1995 he was Minister of Economy, and from 1995 he was the leader of his party, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Chancellor. Between 2000 and 2007, he was Chancellor of Austria, and from 2006 to 2008, he was the leader of the ÖVP parliamentary group.
The Petőfi Award, established in 2009 - to which MOL Plc. joined - is awarded to those outstanding personalities of the region who set an example and advanced the "common good", the cause of freedom, by standing up for themselves and making sacrifices for their freedom.
Among the previous awardees were Reformed bishop László Tőkés, Imre Kozma, founder of the Hungarian Charity Service in Malta, and Václav Klaus, former head of state of the Czech Republic.
Source: Magyar Hírlap
Image: MH/MTI
