Government official opens Baile Tusnad Summer University

Hungarians across the globe are now united, and today’s Hungarian parliament “essentially works as a national assembly”, the state secretary for Hungarian communities abroad said at the opening of the Bálványos Summer University in Baile Tusnad (Tusnádfürdő), in central Romania.

The summer university dubbed “Tusványos”, a major cultural event for ethnic Hungarians, is being held between July 24 and 29.

Árpád János Potápi noted that the university is increasingly in the public eye, mostly thanks to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Orbán traditionally gives a speech there followed by a Q and A at the event. This year, his speech is scheduled for Saturday.

“We often see what the prime minister has said in Tusnádfürdő echoed in European and international politics,” Potápi said.

“We are working to re-establish the freedom of our country to serve not only the nation but Europe as a whole and Christian affairs,” he said, quoting Prince Ferenc Rákóczi II, leader of a Hungarian revolution against the Habsburgs in the 18th century.

Potápi lauded the summer university’s influence on relations with ethnic minorities, and the work of organisations registering ethnic Hungarian voters and collecting their ballots for the April 8 general election. The ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance has the support of over 96 percent of ethnic Hungarians, he said.