Katalin Novák highlights the importance of traditional family values in Australia
The importance of traditional family values was underlined by President of Hungary Katalin Novák in Sydney, after her meeting with former Australian Prime Minister Anthony John Abbott.
The President of Hungary and Tony Abbott discussed possible actions to tackle the demographic ice age, and after a one-on-one meeting, they were joined by prominent representatives of Australian society.
Katalin Novák explained that Hungarian family policy goes against the mainstream, as it emphasises an approach to empower families. A population decline has been going on for 40 years. However, in addition to tackling demographic challenges, a family-friendly approach and the protection of traditional family values are also of paramount importance, she said, adding that she is ready to share details on the government’s pro-family measures. She recalled that the Budapest Demographic Summit was held for the fifth time in Hungary this year, and has been organised every two years since 2015.
Katalin Novák said that there are almost 100,000 Hungarians living in Australia, forming a community, cultivating Hungarian culture and traditions, which is why they have been able to preserve their Hungarian identity. She stressed that one of the aims of her visit to Australia was to cherish Hungary’s relationship with the local Hungarian community, and as there is a significant Hungarian diaspora in Australia, she wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and the 1956 War of Independence with them.
On Tuesday, Katalin Novák also visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground Stadium, where she spoke with Cecília Hartmann, a kayaker who finished 4th at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. "She told us about the Olympics held a month after the revolution was crushed, and about how the disintegration of families left scars that would not go away," the President said in her post, pointing out that hundreds of Hungarian families were torn apart by the communist repressions in the wake of the revolution, and that these families will also be remembered on 23 October.
On Tuesday, Katalin Novák laid flowers at the statue of Ferenc Puskás, who coached football in Melbourne.
The President's visit to Australia has three main focuses, one is to maintain relations with Hungarians, the other is to build relations between the two countries and the third is to build an international family-friendly alliance. Tuesday was all about the two last goals. In the framework of strengthening relations between the two countries, Katalin Novák met in Melbourne with Margaret Elaine Gardner, Governor of Victoria, with whom she discussed women's empowerment and strengthening economic ties, Vajk Farkas, Communications Director of Sándor Palace told public media on Tuesday.
Afterwards, at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, President Novák spoke about the demographic challenges facing Western civilization, as well as measures to strengthen Hungarian families and encourage an increase in birth rates. At the university, she met with key players in Australia’s economic and public life, the Communications Director explained. Katalin Novák also spoke about the Humanity Tuesdays initiative she launched with Elon Musk, which has attracted more than 100,000 responses to its latest questionnaire. The majority of the respondents expressed their desire to have several children, and it is the role of politics to help them achieve their goal – she emphasized.