Hungary stands up for freedom, family and Christian tradition - Interview with Katalin Novák in The Australian

Hungary stands up for freedom, family and Christian tradition, said President of the Republic Katalin Novák in an interview with The Australian, the only Australian daily with national coverage. 

The article reports that in the synagogue on Dohány Street in Budapest, different denominations and political parties stood up together in support of Israel, which has been attacked by the Palestinian organisation Hamas. 

On this occasion, Katalin Novák rejected any suggestion that Hungary is characterised by anti-Semitism.
"Hungary has zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. On that day we stood up for Israel and the Jewish people. Hungary has a very strong Jewish community, whose rights are fully guaranteed. My Jewish friends always tell me how grateful they are that in Hungary they do not have to be afraid to wear a kippah in public places or to profess their Jewish faith in public. Jewish people in Hungary, unlike in other European countries, do not have to fear attacks”. - the Head of State added.

The article mentions an earlier statement by Slomó Köves, Chief Rabbi of the United Hungarian Jewish Community - Hungarian Jewish Federation, who said that the Jewish community in Hungary is one of the safest Jewish communities in Europe. 

When asked why the Western media – wrongly - characterises Hungary and Hungarians as anti-democratic and anti-freedom, the Head of State said that, among other things, it is because they do not understand the Hungarian language, and that the Hungarian position often does not fit into the mainstream liberal narrative. But she also believes that we do not put enough emphasis on explaining our position. It is often difficult to understand how people, some of whom have never even been to Hungary, can form such strong misconceptions about Hungary and the Hungarian people, she underlined. 

Katalin Novák cited a recent interview she gave to a major European news portal as an example. As her answers were not what had been expected, the article was not published. "It is difficult to accept this kind of liberalism," she said. When asked by public media which portal it was, Sándor Palace confirmed that it was Politico. 
In the article, the Hungarian President described herself as "a mother, a wife, a Hungarian and a believing Christian". "All these things define me, I cannot put them aside. As one of less than 20 female heads of state in the world, I want to show what it is like to be a conservative female political leader," she said. 

On the anniversary of the 1956 revolution, the Head of State stressed that "Hungarians are freedom fighters". Hungary is historically a Christian country, and "as a Reformed Christian, I would also say that we are predestined to Christianity". Our culture is Christian, our special days are Christian, and of course everyone is free to practice their faith, and there is freedom of religion. "Many in the West think that tolerance is equivalent to giving up our national and Christian identity" she added. 

On the issue of pro-family policies and the Head of State's view on the role of women, the author of the article points out that Katalin Novák wants families and women to have real freedom of choice, which is completely at odds with the zeitgeist professed by newspapers like The New York Times and The Guardian. 

According to the President, young people want to have children, but in the end they do not have as many as they would like. "As a conservative leader, it is my duty to do everything I can to ensure that the children young people want are actually born. I see motherhood as a privilege. You can give it up, but I want to show that it is indeed a privilege. It is up to governments to ensure that it is possible to choose both, career and work, together. That is true freedom of choice. It is important that we face up to the demographic crisis," she stressed. 
The article mentions that as Minister of Family Affairs, Katalin Novák did a lot to increase public spending on family policy to 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and to increase the birth rate. 

In addition to presenting Hungarian family policy measures, the President also emphasized that the Hungarian people do not see mass immigration as a solution to the demographic problem. The article mentions that Hungary is also criticised for its migration policy, but that it is very similar to the Australian migration policy. 

The article also points out that Hungary, together with Poland, is the main opponent of the EU's leftist and liberal social and migration policies. According to the author's assessment, in the West today, anyone who opposes the mainstream is automatically labelled "Taliban". Despite the results of the recent Polish parliamentary election, there have also been conservative successes, such as the rise to power of Giorgia Meloni in Italy, about whom Katalin Novák said: 'I have a very close, friendly relationship with Giorgia Meloni, and what she is doing is very good for Italy'. 

Hungary has opened its doors to two million Ukrainians, the President said, adding that Hungary condemns Russian aggression and supports a peaceful settlement the sooner the better. She objected to Hungary’s portrayal as a kind of ally of Russia. 

The newspaper points out that Katalin Novák will also meet the Hungarian diaspora in Australia. "I am grateful to Australia for having opened its doors to the Hungarian refugees, helping them to find a new home here," the President said.