Orbán inaugurates training swimming pool in NE Hungary

The cause of Hungarian young people and their education in healthy lifestyles is Hungary’s number one national cause, there is nothing more important than that, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Thursday in the locality of Csenger in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.

At the inauguration ceremony of the first swimming pool constructed within the framework of the National Public Education Infrastructure Development Programme, the Prime Minister stressed that sport is the most suitable means for educating young people as it teaches them perseverance, a healthy lifestyle, an active life and honest competition, while it also creates communities.

“Hungary needs a strong, healthy, feisty and committed youth, and young people will fit that description if we, parents raise them to be like that”, Mr Orbán said.

In his speech delivered before a group of people who gathered together to inaugurate the single-storey swimming pool complex with an entrance structure which seeks to pay tribute to the oeuvre of architect Imre Makovecz, the Prime Minister highlighted that the Government is building gymnasiums, sports halls and swimming pools in every district centre. By doing so, they give the next generation a chance to be worthy of their forefathers and to become strong enough to carry the country on their shoulders during the decades to come, he added.

Mr Orbán laid down in his speech at the same time that a great problem of Europe is that there are not enough children on the continent, and at present Hungary, too, is struggling with this ailment. In his words, there are countries in Europe which seek to resort to external help in order to resolve the problem, in the form of migrants and immigrants. At the same time, he pointed out that there are other countries which have faith in themselves, and attempt to rise to this historical challenge by mobilising their own internal reserves.

Hungary forms part of the latter countries. As long as this Government is in office, whatever plans may be conceived in Brussels, we shall never resolve the problem of few children with migrants. “This is our ailment, our problem which we shall resolve”, the Prime Minister stressed. He is convinced that there is sufficient vitality in the Hungarian people and families to rise to this task, and the country will be able to reverse this negative process.

This is why we need young people, Mr Orbán continued, and this is why sports facilities are being built which facilitate the health-oriented education of children. The Prime Minister stressed that the swimming pools are built not only for children. According to the Government’s calculations, they provide the opportunity to do sports for some 700 thousand people. He confirmed that, in addition to the construction of the facilities, the State will also finance their maintenance.