“August 20 is coming. We must act now.” "Fix the broken crosses on the stone crowns of Margaret Bridge!" - This is what more than 12,000 Hungarian citizens are demanding from Mayor Gergely Karácsony in a petition launched by the Szent István Institute. As they say, the mayor's indifference is outrageous and intolerable. According to them, Karácsony should immediately take up the work he has neglected - so that if it is not possible to enjoy the replicas of the Holy Crown in their full splendor on Hungary's birthday, August 20, they can be completed as soon as possible. 

As we wrote , last year drunken youths damaged the stone crowns on Margaret Bridge. The perpetrators were later identified and sentenced to fines by the prosecutor's office. According to the verdict of the Capital Court, one of the defendants climbed four pillars on the night of August 24 and broke the stone crosses on them. Later, they crossed the Margaret Bridge again, where two of them broke down more stone crosses. One of the perpetrators caused HUF 360,680 damage, and the other caused HUF 72,136 damage. The two men brought before the court in the accelerated procedure admitted their guilt, regretted their actions and indicated their intention to compensate for the damage caused. The court sentenced the first defendant to HUF 300,000 and the second defendant to HUF 240,000. So Gergely Karácsony did not even spend the minimum amount determined as damage to restore the stone crowns, this would have been only HUF 432,816 in total, but if we benevolently round it up to half a million, the inaction of the left-wing city administration is still incomprehensible. Is the city that bankrupt? But then how were they able to distribute a HUF 200 million bonus among the company managers in Budapest? Metropol writes .

The Szent István Institute is collecting signatures

"The stone statues depicting the Holy Crown of Margaret Bridge still bear the marks of last year's vandal attack! We express our astonishment that the capital's management was not able to restore the depictions of our national symbol in one of the busiest points of Budapest during the course of a whole year. As August 20, the feast day of our state founder King Saint Stephen, approaches, we call on Mayor Gergely Karácsony to urgently replace the crosses on the damaged Saint Crowns in Margaret Bridge after a year," the institute here

According to the institute, the Holy Crown embodies Hungary's statehood, national identity and Christian heritage. Its damage and the postponement of its restoration scandalize both the citizens of the capital, the people of the countryside and foreigners alike. And the immediate restoration of the crosses is a common cause.

Experience shows that the best cure for urban vandalism is early restoration. In our case, the solution would be to use more durable materials and place cameras. Their correction is pending from the capital. Consciously, as a demonstrative disregard of Christian and national symbols, or "just" out of indifference? Although restoration and a permanent solution to vandalism should not be a challenge for the responsible leaders of a world city. Therefore, we respectfully request that our Holy Crown, symbolizing the unity of Hungarians, be restored as soon as possible in the nation's capital. The indifference of the city administration is unacceptable, it trivializes the attack on Christianity.

says the institute.

HERE You can sign a petition in which Mayor Gergely Karácsony is urged to immediately restore the crosses on Margaret Bridge.

Cover photo: MTVA/Commissioner: László Róka