The former president of the republic was able to receive this year's Petőfi award of the Central and Eastern European History and Society Research Foundation and the Mol group on Wednesday in Budapest.
Gergely Gulyás, the minister in charge of the Prime Minister's Office, praised the awardee and stated: János Áder made lasting merits in the progress of Hungary after the regime change.
He recalled that János Áder belongs to the founding, system-changing generation of Fidesz, among the lucky ones who were given the opportunity to see the collapse of the Yalta world order, the defeat of communism and the victory of democracy. János Áder is one of the lucky ones who did not passively watch these historical changes, but actively took part in them, said the politician.
János Áder played a decisive role in the transformation of Fidesz from an alternative, anti-communist, liberal movement into a bourgeois, Christian-democratic, conservative party. He also played a decisive role in the fact that, after the 2002 parliamentary elections, the right wing in the opposition remained united and was able to strengthen, he added.
The politician said: János Áder served his country for ten years as the fifth president of the Republic of Hungary after the regime change, and his activities "set a standard".
"He proved that a clear choice of values and convictions is an advantage, and previous involvement in party politics is not an obstacle for someone to hold the position of head of state, which was also a common practice in the parliamentary democracies of Western Europe," he said.
Gergely Gulyás emphasized: János Áder performed his duties as a person who was always predictable, open to arguments, respectful of others, friendly and consistent.
He was loyal even when his loyalty was questioned, he insisted.
He was one of the first to recognize the importance of environmental protection, the danger of global warming, the importance of the credibility of domestic and international action against it, the paramount importance of our water resources in the 21st century, he said, adding: we know from János Áder's example that truly useful environmental and nature protection is only conservative may.
Historian Mária Schmidt, the XXI. In his welcome address, the director general of the Szazad Institute spoke about how, in his opinion, the history of humanity began with the formation of communities, and the basic condition for the formation of communities was that people discover that they have a responsibility to each other, they must assume solidarity.
Living in a community, doing things for the community, this is the most important thing, and those who do things for public life, those who choose a political career, keep this in mind, he emphasized.
Mária Schmidt said, "only a person who has a Hungarian heart and whose solid values put Hungarian national interests first can represent the interests of the Hungarian people with heart and soul. János Áder is such a person", he said, and then continued: the former president of the republic is "an educated, educated, smart, qualified lawyer who is primarily dedicated".
Mária Schmidt stated: János Áder is dedicated to serving the community and the Hungarian nation, he did this in all the positions to which he was appointed by the community during his political career.
With the award, they want to thank him for the work he did for Hungary, the Hungarian nation, his party, and for system change, he said, and then said: "he always kept in mind the commitment that Sándor Petőfi also professed. And this is that the common good is freedom".
Mária Schmidt also touched on the fact that starting next year, the circle of awardees will be expanded. He said that statesmen, politicians and public figures who have shown outstanding performance in the decades since the system change are among the recipients.
Zsolt Hernádi, president and CEO of the Mol Group, stated: János Áder's career is also a life path defined by an unbroken desire for freedom and work. He is a person who has worked for this from the beginning.
His career in public life began in the years of system change, against communism, and led to the highest public dignity in democratic, free Hungary, he said.
Zsolt Hernádi highlighted that, as the president of the Blue Planet Foundation, János Áder represents a cause that serves the freedom of the people living here. This is environmental protection and sustainability, he pointed out.
Imre Kozma, the founder of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service, said that János Áder "lives on God's wavelength". To worship God, "this is the wavelength of God, and indeed the only complete and final transformation of existence", he said, and then continued: this worship is not slavish obeisance to power, but the glow of a rising soul.
Thanking him for the recognition, János Áder stated: he has tried to benefit Hungary and the Hungarian nation for the past 35 years, and - as he put it - if God helps him, he will continue to do so in the future.
He thanked the founders of the award for creating an opportunity to talk about something that is now natural, but was not before 1990, every year.
János Áder called it a special honor that he received the Petőfi Award in the Petőfi commemorative year.
The award, established in 2009, is awarded to distinguished persons who have done a great deal for the freedom of the peoples of Central Europe in recent decades.
Among the previous awardees were Reformed bishop László Tőkés, Imre Kozma, the founder of the Hungarian Charity Service of Malta, former Czech president Václav Klaus and former Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel.
MTI
