Hungary at the Turn of the Millennium

His Excellency, Dr. Victor Orban Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary HUNGARY AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM Chairman: Robert J. Dechert President, The Empire Club of Canada

Head Table Guests

The Reverend Kim Beard, Rector, Christ Church, Brampton and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada; Dr. Laslo Simon, Chair, Hungarian Research Institute of Canada, University of Toronto; Balazs Podmanicsky, Student, Upper Canada College, recipient of the Fejer Hungarian Scholarship; Diana L. Chant, C.A., Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers and Treasurer, The Empire Club of Canada; His Excellency Dr. Attila Chikan, Minister of Economy, Republic of Hungary; William Saunderson, Chair, Ontario Exports Inc. and Former Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism; Mrs. Aniko Leval, Spouse of Prime Minister Orban; Bart Mindszenthy, A.P.R., Partner, Mindszenthy & Roberts and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada; His Excellency Dr. Istvan Stumpf, Minister, Head of the Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Hungary; Bela W. Fejer, Q.C., President, Fejer & Associates; Peter Munk, Chairman and CEO, TrizecHahn Corporation and Chairman, Barrick Gold Corporation; and 'The Hon. David M. Collenette, Transport Minister, Government of Canada.

Introduction by Robert J. Dechert

Canadians are familiar with the many remarkable contributions of the people of Hungary to Canada and to the world.

As you know, Canada has had a long association with the people of Hungary. Indeed, Canadians of Hungarian origin and descent have contributed and continue to contribute to the worlds of business, science, literature and the arts.

Some of Canada's most accomplished Hungarian-Canadians include our special guest Peter Munk, the founder of both Barrick Gold and TrizecHahn, Dr. John Polanyi, the Nobel prize-winning chemist, Canadian author George Jonas and Canadian film producer and founder of Alliance Atlantis Communications, Robert Lantos to name just a few.

Ladies and gentleman, we are privileged to have as our guest speaker today a man who has contributed much to the freedom of his nation and to democracy.

Those of us who were only distant witnesses to the Cold War can scarcely imagine what life must have been like under the oppressive domination of the old Soviet system. Viktor Orban not only suffered under that system but did something about it.

Viktor Orban was born in 1963. He earned a degree in law and social sciences from the "Eotvas Lorand" University in Budapest in 1987. He also studied political philosophy at the University of Oxford on a Soros Foundation scholarship. As a student he helped to found the Federation of Young Democrats Party or "Fidesz." The party's name was changed to "Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party" in 1995.

On June 16, 1989, Dr. Orban rose to prominence when he delivered a courageous and impassioned speech to a large audience in "Heroes Square" in Budapest demanding free elections and the withdrawal of Soviet troops from his country.

In the free parliamentary elections of 1990, Dr. Orban was elected as a member of the Hungarian parliament. In April 1993, he was elected party chairman. In the following year in the 1994 parliamentary elections, Dr. Orban was re-elected to the Hungarian parliament. Between April 1994 and June 1998, Dr. Orban chaired the Hungarian Parliamentary Committee for European Integration Affairs.

In the general election of 1998, Dr. Orban's party won the largest number of parliamentary seats of any party and on July 8, 1998, the President of the Republic of Hungary called upon Viktor Orban to form the new Government of Hungary.

Ladies and gentleman, please welcome His Excellency Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the podium of The Empire Club of Canada.

Victor Orban

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, the title of my lecture is "Hungary at the turn of the millennium."

When we say "millennium" everybody thinks of the past 1,000 years. Everybody except the Hungarians. You have to know that nothing is as simple as that with us.

For in Hungary it was exactly 103 years ago in 1896 that we first had a millennium. This was when we Hungarians celebrated the thousandth anniversary of our settling down in Europe after a long migration westward.

In 1896 you elected Sir Wilfrid Laurier as prime minister of Canada and built the Canadian Northern Railroad. In Budapest the king reigned and we built the first electric underground line in Continental Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, irrespective of how complicated it is to be a Hungarian the year 2000 is going to be a millennium year for us as well. But I have to tell you we finished the twentieth century somewhat sooner than you did. For us the new millennium started in 1990. This was the year when the Soviet troops, "temporarily stationed in Hungary" since 1945, left our soil. In 1990 Hungary could rejoin Europe.

It is 1999 now, but for Hungary the past nine years seem like a whole generation's lifetime. We had nine years to build everything we were longing for during the 40 years of oppression. We had nine years to bring the institutions of democracy to life. We had nine years to construct a genuine banking system. Nine years to create profitable industry, agriculture and trade through privatisation. We had nine years to bring to life the dreams of those who in 1956 stood up for freedom, first by peaceful means then, when they had to, with arms. Those who took up the fight with only a few rifles against the Socialist system and the occupying tanks took up the fight even though it was desperate and hopeless.

Nineteen fifty-six was called the Hungarian Revolution all over the world. The fame of this freedom fight spread over here as well. Canada and its people warmly received the Hungarians seeking refuge from the crushed revolution. Thank you Canada.

I am positive that this fight and the image Canadians formed of Hungarians in 1956 played a major role in Canada being the first country to ratify Hungary's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. But ladies and gentlemen, as you already know, nothing is as simple as that with Hungarians. Three days after joining the Alliance we found ourselves in the midst of an armed conflict. How typical.

In the past 10 years we have done as much as we could. The Hungarian economy has undergone a radical structural transformation with over 80 per cent of the GDP now produced by the private sector. This rapid progress has made Hungary a leading economy and the financial hub in the region. Hungary has become the base for most investors all over Central East Europe.

Please think about it. Investors come to Hungary. They choose our country because they find the same work ethics, the same living standard as in their home countries and what do they get in the midst of it? An armed conflict in the neighbourhood. You will never be able to guess the outcome for Hungary!

By the time the Yugoslav conflict was over we sold the concession for the 1,800 megaherz DDS mobile phone tender for a price unprecedented in Hungary. The winner was an American-British-German consortium. And Audi Motors chose Hungary again from among many other possibilities to build a brand new type of factory for its revolutionary new motor. As you can see things are always moving along in Hungary.

We spent a large part of the past 1,000 years defending Western Europe from the Turkish Ottoman Empire's westward expansion. The Turks never got to Europe. Hungary on the contrary suffered Turkish rule for 150 years. In 1848 there were revolutions in practically all the countries of Europe. For Hungarians this fight was a fight for freedom and independence from the Hapsburgs. However the Hapsburg Empire reinforced with the Russians czar's troops crushed our fight. Freedom has always been crucial for us, perhaps because we have had so little of it.

Let me tell you a short anecdote from an Hungarian author who recently passed away. The hero of his short story is visiting somewhere abroad and would like to do some shopping. Unfortunately, he only has Hungarian forints on him. However the shopkeeper becomes interested in this strange money. He starts asking the man: "Whose face can be found on the bank note?" "This is Lajos Kossuth, the leader of our freedom fight. He died in exile." The shopkeeper looks at another bank note. "How about this guy?" "This is Sandor Petofi, the heroic poet of the 1848 revolution for freedom and independence. He was killed in the battle." "And this one?" "This is Gyorgy Dozsa, the leader of the biggest peasant revolt. He was burnt on an iron throne." The shopkeeper looks puzzled. "And this one is Istvan Szechenyi. He had many things built in the nineteenth century, for instance the Academy of Sciences, the first stone bridge on the Danube and several railroads. He had the rivers regulated as well. They called him the greatest Hungarian." "And what happened to him?" asks the shopkeeper with some sigh of hope and relief. "He committed suicide in a mental institution." The shopkeeper gives up and says: "You know what? Take it for free."

So ladies and gentlemen we have but a few months left until the millennium or at least you will certainly have the millennium here in Canada in the year 2000. With us the situation again is somewhat different. I guess you are not surprised anymore. We are Hungarians. Everything is possible with us. True the year 2000 will be a millennium in Hungary as well, but the year 2001 is also going to be a millennium for us because the first day of 2001 will be the one-thousandth anniversary of the crowning of our first king, St. Stephen, with the crown he received from the Pope. We take this date as the foundation of the Hungarian state.

As you can see our Hungary is but 1,000 years old and we have already celebrated three millennia. The Chinese are right when they say. "The past is important because without it we would not have a present." We have to treasure what we inherited from our parents and grandparents. We have to know that our best chance is the present.

If we can believe the annual country report published by the European Commission a few days ago Hungary is the leading candidate for EU membership. One thousand years in Europe is not such a long time. For the EU-member countries Hungary will be among the young ones. Among the young and small ones.

Ladies and gentlemen your country for instance is about 100 times as big as ours. Your population is three times as big as ours at least at the first sight, for as you know nothing is as simple as that with Hungarians. Hungary is surrounded by countries where many Hungarians live. We might even say that Hungarians neighbour Hungarians. If we combine all these figures we will find that there are only twice as many Canadians as Hungarians. And we have not even added our compatriots who live elsewhere in the world; here on this continent for instance. Many here in Canada. It is from them that I know that Canada has always been a welcoming home country for Hungarians. It is time for me to thank you for it. Canada received the refugees. She gave them work and she gave acknowledgment and prestige to those who worked hard.

We owe acknowledgement to you for receiving Hungarians' and living with Hungarians. Everyone knows that that is not an easy thing to do. A saying has it that those who have Hungarian friends need no enemies. Dear business people take this unique opportunity. Take the advantage of the millennium and get a Hungarian friend soon without hesitation. Thank you very much for your attention.

The appreciation of the meeting was expressed by Bart Mindszenthy, A.P.R., Partner, Mindszenthy & Roberts and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada and The Hon. David M. Collenette, Transport Minister, Government of Canada.