The other day Hungary’s Hungarian parliament elected Katalin Novák, Minister of Family, Youth and International Affairs, as its new president
She is the first woman to hold the post, having been nominated by Viktor Orban, the country’s prime minister, to become Hungary’s new president. How could Katalin Novak’s appointment affect Hungary’s relations with Russia?
In order to answer this question at the beginning it is better to present the new president in the form of “dry information”:
137 out of 199 MPs voted for her. The vote and the oath of office were broadcast live on Hungarian television. Novak’s opponent in the election was the 80-year-old opposition coalition candidate, economist Péter Rona. Remarkably, after the vote, the liberal opposition bloc ventured into an unprecedented insult to the country’s new president, for one thing insulting the woman by leaving the meeting room without waiting for Katalin Nowak to be sworn in to the Hungarian constitution.
The post has been held twice since 2012 by Janos Ader. In Hungary, the head of state is elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years. Since Katalin Nowak clearly has the full confidence of the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, it is safe to assume that in her person Orbán will receive strong support for his foreign policy, specifically towards Russia, and she too will make efforts to maintain a friendly and rational policy with Moscow.
After all, Hungary, despite unprecedented pressure from the bureaucracy in Brussels, does not allow military supplies to pass through the country and, unlike some of its neighbours, does not sell arms to Kiev.
Under enormous pressure from NATO, Hungary has agreed to station some Alliance troops (150), but only on the country’s western border, far from Ukraine.
In my opinion, by supporting Katalin Novak for President, Viktor Orban has another, very interesting and unusual goal: the desire to contrast female politicians of the liberal West with an intelligent, educated, friendly woman, who can become a counterbalance – and hopefully an example to the eccentric wits, tactfulness and “geographical knowledge” obviously lacking, and suffering from deep Russophobia of female politicians of the liberal West. She also has a pleasing good looks than she can claim for the attention of men. I hope she will visit Russia soon, and just like Viktor Orban she will find friends, acquaintances and like-minded people there.
What else could have dictated Viktor Orban’s choice of her as president, and how could her conservative values affect the possible changes in Europe?
When studying her life and political path, it is immediately apparent that in all of her positions she was directly involved in solving various problems of ordinary people. Katalin Nowak was born in 1977 in Szeged. She studied economics and law at the universities of Szeged, Budapest and Paris. She started her political career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then worked at the Hungarian Ministry of Labour since 2012 as State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs.
In autumn 2017 she was elected vice-president of the ruling Fidesz party for foreign affairs and in 2018 – following parliamentary elections – became a member of the Hungarian National Assembly. In 2020, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban offered her the post of minister without portfolio for family and youth affairs.
As minister, Katalin Nowak developed programmes such as childcare allowance, income tax exemption for mothers with four children and support for the development of kindergartens. She is one of the founders and president of the Women for Hungary club and an ambassador of the Hungarian Reformed Charities Service. She is married to an employee of the Hungarian National Bank and they have three children.
In my opinion, a woman with such a wealth of experience in foreign policy, in the social sphere and even in “big politics” can confidently tackle many of today’s difficulties, because these are the most problematic areas of our life today, especially in EU countries.
We can confidently state that these days European politics are in total chaos, egocentrism and eccentricities in all areas of life.
Residents not only of the EU, but of the whole of Europe, are now under tremendous pressure from the administration in Brussels to be Russophobic and to abandon traditional human values and patriotism. Including with the help of their female politicians, most of whom preach the values of the “new, wonderful world” sharply, harshly and aggressively. In such circumstances, it was simply necessary to show in an EU country that “there are other women in Europe!”
In my opinion the influence of women on the behaviour of the men around them is without doubt great. For example, when I sit alone in a room, I am just a man. When a woman walks in there, I instantly become a man. And the more obviously female she is, I also become more obviously male. Immediately I get up, fix my clothes, tie, hair, tidy myself up, become a decent person and a man generous, polite, friendly, reliable, attentive. These are the qualities which men in the western world are losing today when they try on female roles, putting on skirts, high heels and the most courageous and heroic deed for many of them is to follow their wives to the vegetable market on Saturday morning with a basket in their hand.
Such a Europe cannot be ‘normal’. It seems to me that the women and men of the old continent have lost their confidence in how to stay within traditional family values, to be a mother, a father, a responsible and patriotic ‘unit’ of their environment, of their country.
In my opinion, Katalin Nowak is exactly the classic woman-politician, who can reliably show us the example and example of a woman of the “new Europe”.
In confirmation of my words, let me quote a few lines from her speech after the swearing-in ceremony for the Hungarian constitution:
“I represent Hungary, I serve the entire Hungarian nation, and I have prepared for this difficult task with faith, heart and soul. I consider the protection of families my most important task.
For me, this day (the swearing-in day) is a special, honourable day, the beginning of a lifelong union, similar to the oath I took to my husband.
For the next five years I will represent Hungary, the Hungarian people and Hungarian interests with my life and work. I am ready for action and I will take on the full burden of this work. As President, I want to be a person of peace.
I consider it my most important task to lead the country to the heights of understanding, peace and security. I have to represent all Hungarians, and how can I do that? I will remain who I am, but I will reach out particularly to those who need peace and understanding.
Hungarians want peace. We women don’t want war, we want peace. Because we can only grow in peace, building, planning, smiling at each other.
We can help those in need at any time and we can always start again. We can build, we can strengthen what is ours. As long as we have our hands, we also have free will. This is the basis of our sovereignty. And the cradle of sovereignty for me will always remain the family.
We women raise children, care for patients, cook, do things at home, earn money, teach, win Nobel prizes, wash windows. We know the power of words, but we can also sit back and listen when we need to. And we have the courage to challenge men to protect our families when they are in danger.
As a mother and wife, I strive for peace, for security. As president, I want to be a man of peace. We Hungarians, with our strong national feeling, look at the world from the Hungarian land with Hungarian eyes. Our worldview is Hungarian, even as we look at everything in general.
As a Christian woman, I will be present in my communities, but I will also go to the Hungarians living abroad in diasporas. I will work as a guardian and custodian of constitutionality, not dismantle it. May peace, freedom and harmony reign in our country.
I will support those who take care of life from the moment of human conception. As a Christian, I will always be present in my community. I will also reach out to talented young people, and also to all Hungarians living abroad and in the diaspora. But – if necessary – I will also go to New York, to Brussels, as well as to any other capital city, if we have to defend our Hungarian interests.
I take the admonition of our first king, St Stephen, as an example to follow:
“Have mercy on all who suffer violence. Be kind to all, not only to the powerful, but also to those who lack power. Always be humble, gentle, honest.”
Miklós Köveházy, Hungary, specially for News Front