Hungary celebrates national foundation day and St. Stephen

Hungary celebrated its national holiday on August 20th, marking the foundation of the state and the feast of St. Stephen. In Balassagyarmat, ceremonies included the traditional blessing of new bread and speeches by Mayor Gábor Csach and Balázs Csáki, the Nógrád county president of the National Agricultural Chamber. Csáki highlighted the challenges faced by farmers due to severe summer drought, noting that the region received only about half of its required rainfall.

During the celebrations, President András Baka delivered a speech regarding the role of public media. He emphasized that the purpose of public media is to create a public sphere that respects the freedom and judgment of citizens. Baka stated, “Public media cannot lie. Let this be more than just a simple sentence,” referring to the institution's responsibility to serve citizens rather than those in power. This follows a period of significant changes and a recent relaunch of the news service.