Homan statue plans withdrawn – Reactions

Budapest, December 18 (MTI) – The Homan Balint Foundation has dropped plans to erect a statue to its namesake, the Horthy-era politician, in Szekesfehervar, central Hungary.

The foundation notified the mayor of the city, Andras Cser-Palkovics, in a letter. In response the mayor motioned to withdraw support of 2 million forints (EUR 6,300) approved for the statue by the local council in June this year. The assembly voted to approve the motion on Friday.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban earlier said he did not support plans for the Homan statue. Gabor Kovats, the Homan foundation’s head, insisted earlier that Homan’s “contributions to the nation and the city” justified a statue in his honour.

Plans for the Homan monument have elicited sharp protest both in Hungary and abroad. Jewish organisations, US congressmen and diplomats have also voiced protest. The Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz) said “in a democratic country there is no place for a statue for an anti-Semite”.

Mazsihisz on Friday welcomed the Szekesfehervar assembly’s decision in a statement. The federation “hopes that with this move the idea to rehabilitate the politician with a bad past in public life can be off the agenda for good,” it said.