1956 Hungarian uprising commemorated in Valletta

The 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising against the Communist regime was commemorated in Malta on Friday with a ceremony at Lower Barracca Gardens in Valletta, and an evening reception in Attard, hosted by Hungary's ambassador to Italy and Malta, Istvan Kovacs.

President Edward Fenech Adami, who was presented by Mr Kovacs with a commemorative Hero of Freedom Medal honouring those supporting the 1956 revolution and its goals, during the reception at the Villa Corinthia, Attard announced he would attend the state commemoration in Budapest hosted by the Hungarian President, Laszlo Solyom, in Budapest today and tomorrow.

In 1956, Hungarians tasted freedom for a few heady days before the revolution was crushed by Soviet tanks and the reimposition of a rigidly Communist regime. Thousands of Hungarians were killed in the revolt, while thousands of others fled the country. Many Hungarian children were adopted by families in Europe, and a few of them also by Maltese families.

On Friday morning, Mr Kovacs unveiled a commemorative marble plaque on the wall of the Lower Barracca Gardens loggia together with the mayor of Valletta, Dr Paul Borg Olivier. The words, carved in Hungarian, Maltese and English state: "In memory of the heroes and martyrs of the 1956 Hungarian revolution, the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, 23 October 2006".

In his speech to an audience, which included many of Malta's 30-odd Hungarian residents, Mr Kovacs stated that "this plaque immortalises the 1956 martyrs, what they did for Hungary, and for European democracy and freedom. The revolution failed, but the young fighters' heroic sacrifice laid the basis for Hungary's return to democracy in 1989.

"Fifty years ago Hungarians felt the Maltese people's solidarity; we remain grateful for it today. Two small countries, but with big hearts, we now work as EU members. But I feel that our peoples have been united for a thousand years."

Mr Kovacs then presented Hero of Freedom medals to Dr Borg Oliver as well as to Chief Justice Emeritus Professor Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici, and to Lino D. Abela, LP, who in 1956 were respectively president and secretary of the University students' representative body (KRS) and collected aid for the Hungarian freedom fighters.

In his speech, Dr Borg Oliver said that the 'Città humilissima' 440 years ago was a precursor of the European Union, and based on the principle of solidarity towards people in need. "Valletta also symbolises a reaction against war, being built from the ruins of the Great Siege, and partially rebuilt from the destruction of World War Two. Valletta also hosted the historic Bush-Gorbachev meeting which spelt the end of the cold war.

"Nothing is stronger than the will of the people", the mayor continued, "and will prevail in the end against anyone trying to take away its freedom. Malta resisted the Nazis' attempt to enslave it, and preserved its liberty so the Maltese people felt deeply for the heroism of Hungary's 1956 revolutionaries".

The mayor then issued an open invitation to all other EU countries to commemorate in the loggia their historic events of the 20th and 21st century.

Chief Justice Emeritus Mifsud Bonnici told The Sunday Times that as KRS president in 1956 he had helped organise the collection of about Lm5,000 as well as clothing for the revolutionaries. "I then flew to Vienna to deliver our contribution and was the first of 13 presidents of European students' unions to arrive there. A press conference was held - with Hungarian students who had escaped hiding their faces in hoods. We then went to the frontier - the Iron Curtain. We saw five young men running towards the Hungarian side of the border, hoping to cross into Austria. But they were gunned down by Hungarian border guards before our eyes".

Hungary to open embassy

Speaking to The Sunday Times after the ceremony, Mr Kovacs confirmed that Hungary will be opening an embassy here - even though Malta closed its embassy in Budapest last year.

"Hungary has decided to open embassies in all EU countries, though this will be phased in over a period of years, due to budget restrictions", he explained. "We understand the reasons for Malta's closure of its embassy in Hungary, and we have no problem with Hungary being covered by the Maltese embassy in Vienna".

According to Mr Kovacs, the recent anti-government demonstrations in Budapest related to a long overdue austerity programme and cuts in social security payments which the government - a coalition in its second term which took office this April - had to make in order to enable Hungary to progress towards meeting the EU's Maastricht criteria. "With a majority of 47 seats in the parliament, there is no question of the government falling," he emphasised.

The ambassador also downplayed a recent Standard & Poor forecast that Hungary could not enter the Eurozone before 2014. "With a strong annual GDP growth rate of 4%, our inflation rate (3.4%), as well as our debt ratio (70% of GDP), are admittedly above the Maastricht criteria.

"However, if all the planned reforms can be implemented gradually so as to minimise economic upheavals we should join the Eurozone in 2010, 2011 at the latest. There is strong public support for the adoption of the euro".

Maltese-Hungarian economic relations are developing steadily. Maltese exports to Hungary (mainly machinery) increased from Lm12 million to Lm58 million between 2002 and 2005, although Hungarian exports to Malta (mainly foodstuffs and beverages) only grew from Lm1.8 million to Lm2.4 million in the same period. Tourists, English language students and workers are also coming to Malta in increasing numbers.

Malta's leading investment in Hungary consists of the two Corinthia Group hotels - the Royal and the Aquincum - in Budapest.