Saint Stephen's Day in Hungary: A Celebration of Christian Heritage, History, and Identity

Saint Stephen fireworks celebrations at Hungary's parliament building in Budapest, on August 20.
Photo: About Hungary Blog/St. Stephen’s Day in Hungary: What makes it special and what to look for this year

On August 20, Hungarians celebrate Saint Stephen's Day; a national holiday that commemorates the founding of the state by its first monarch King Saint Stephen, the Christianization of the Magyars, and the history of a nation that has endured for more than one thousand years.

It was a day filled with a variety of festivities, traditions, and celebrations—observed by Hungarian communities throughout the Carpathian Basin—that put Hungary's Christian history, heritage, and identity on full display: the celebration of the Mass at St. Stephen's Basilica, followed by a procession with a relic venerated in Hungary as St. Stephen's holy right hand; a flag-raising ceremony; the swearing-in of new military officers; an address by President János Áder; a nationwide cake competition; the blessing of bread under the statue of St. Stephen at the Buda castle, followed by a procession; the Festival of Arts in the Buda Castle District; "Nostaglic Rides" on vintage trams and buses that only make their debut once a year; the fireworks at the Danube river (captured in the above photo) that are second to none; the Streets of Hungarian Tastes which this year also featured foods from the other Visegrad Four (V4) nations, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia; air and water parades; and several family programs and concerts. 

Saint Stephen or Szent István Király, whose reign lasted from 1000-1038, was canonized on August 20, 1083, by Pope Gregory VII for bringing Christianity to Hungary and was later deemed the patron saint of Hungary.

In 1771, Queen Maria Theresa declared August 20, as a national state and Church holiday. 

Throughout Hungary's history, there were gaps when this day was not celebrated; the most recent during the communist era of the last century (1945-1990) when attempts were made to remove Hungary's Christian heritage, history, and identity from the hearts and minds of the people.

The Hungarian people have not forgotten who they are and through their faith, perseverance, determination, and hard work, the Christian character of St. Stephen's Day has been restored for several years now.

The fact that Hungary celebrates this day on a national level and publishes information about it at the official Hungarian blog and government web site speaks volumes about a people who publicly acknowledge, give thanks, and praise God for the many blessings and gifts bestowed upon Hungary. 

As one who follows Hungary's official blog, it came as no surprise to see a post published by Zoltán Kovács, St. Stephen’s Day in Hungary: What makes it special and what to look for this year.

I have been reading about Hungary for approximately three years and became so impressed with the people and its leadership under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party he leads, that I eventually decided to start blogging about Hungary. Given Hungary's predominantly Christian culture and the many responsible policy developments with regard to its political, economic, and social life—the details of which can read from Orbán's State of the Nation address—it was only a matter of time before I added "Hungary" and "Viktor Orbán" as blog labels to my blog.

So impressed have I been with Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that my first blog post entitled, Viktor Orbán: A True Leader of and for the People of Hungary and Hungary's Constitution The Fundamental Law of Hungary, was dedicated to spotlighting Hungary's constitution—which is explicitly Christian—as well as Orbán's leadership qualities; in particular with respect to the proper and efficient response to the Middle East migrant crisis and his speech on March 15, 2016, the annual day that Hungarians commemorate the 1848 Revolution.

After reading Kovacs's blog post, I navigated to the Hungarian government's web site to view the details of Saint Stephen's Day, which the government has dedicated an entire page to entitled, Augusztus Huszadika or August 20. I encourage all who are further interested to view this page, especially the photo gallery.

The more I read about this national celebration, the more impressed I became with the people of Hungary: the spirit of the celebrations; the joy of the festivities; the upholding of traditions; the devotion to God at Mass and processions; the participation by millions of people of all ages; and the respect given to God and to neighbour which Zoltán Kovács captured in his aforementioned blog post, "Here on August 20th, everyone is Hungarian, a day to celebrate, remember, and give thanks." 

God bless Hungary and all Hungarian communities throughout the world.

Hungary's New NGO Law: Greater Transparency Requirements For Foreign-Funded NGOs

Hungarian parliament. Photo: About Hungary Blog/Prominent US and European think tanks taken in by the “NGO crackdown” ruse

On June 13, 2017, Hungary's parliament passed a new law requiring greater transparency of foreign-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The new legislation corrected a loophole in Hungarian law that previously allowed such civic organizations to operate without disclosing where and from whom their funds came from. 

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party he leads, have been determined to close this loophole in order to prevent NGOs from being used as Trojan horses to influence Hungary's domestic politics. The announcement to close the loophole was made in February and by April 2, the draft legislation was made available. 

The announcement sparked open and public debate, including criticism from Brussels, left-leaning mainstream media news web sites, several prominent European and American think tanks, and even Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland; criticism that has been for the most part, untruthful and factually incorrect.

With this new law in place all NGOs that qualify as being funded from abroad, must not only report it within fifteen days of receiving foreign funds, but state it as such on their web sites and publications. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the notification by a prosecutor to do so within thirty days, as well as the possibility of a fine and suspension.

I applaud Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for this new law; it is simply a matter of common sense that when NGOs are funded by foreign interests—especially those that engage in political activity that have neither the democratic mandate do so; nor, do they provide any accountability to the citizenry—they should be transparent about that, as Hungarians have the right to know!

The failed "NGO Crackdown" ruse

In mid-March, opposition to the proposed new NGO legislation came in the form of an open letter representing several prominent US and European think tanks. It was entitled, No to NGO crackdown in Hungary, and "fittingly" published at the domain, ngocrackdown.com.

In essence, what the letter attempted to do was paint a false picture of the new law's transparency requirements, primarily through the use of selected historical references, bombastic language, and false claims about the Hungarian government.

Case in point, the letter states that the Hungarian government's intention is to root out NGOs that receive funding from George Soros. Although Prime Minister Orbán and the Hungarian government are well aware of the fact that Soros is in the "NGO business" and has an agenda for Hungary, the new law is aimed at all foreign-funded civic organizations.

The letter also stated that NGOs are an organic part of society and that their role does not depend on whether the government of the moment agrees with them. The letter lacks any specificity with respect to any civic organization, but instead refers to NGOs, foundations, and think tanks as a general grouping.

The signatories also neglected to mention those civic organizations that receive foreign-funding and engage in political activity; civic organizations whose financial support, direction, and agendas comes from well known globalists and billionaires, such as George Soros.

The arrogance and audacity of the signatories comes shining through when they suggest that Hungary should be proud of the "rich landscape of organizations of civil society," and how they ought to be careful not to "undo the extraordinary progress" that Hungary has seen since the fall of communism. Orbán and the Hungarian people don't need anyone to tell them about the struggles of living within a communist system, the fight for freedom and independence, and what a country needs to do to consistently and successfully move forward. The Hungarian people have admirably demonstrated this for centuries: during the early 1700s (Rákóczi’s War of Independence), the 1848 War of Independence, the Hungarian uprising of 1956, and in recent years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who first took office in 2010.

Hungary has gone on the offensive and responded to all the criticism with the truth and the facts, and in the process, spotlighted what Hungarian government spokesman, Zoltan Kovács referred to as a, "NGO crackdown ruse." In a blog post dated March 21, 2017, Kovács—follow him on Twitter and his blog posts at, About Hungary Blog, for daily updates on Hungary—wrote a thorough response to the letter, Prominent US and European think tanks taken in by the “NGO crackdown” ruse.

Kovács included many valid points that is sure to resonate with those that value the truth, factual information, and common-sense, as well as those who have come to appreciate the consistent progress that Hungary has made in the past seven years.

In addition to stressing how Hungary's draft legislation was about greater transparency, and the result of a normal concern of any government who identifies foreign-funded NGOs involved in political activities that could be construed as attempts to undermine the government and democracy as a whole, what most stands out about his blog post was how he debunked the notion that Hungary's transparency requirement is a "NGO crackdown."

Kovács first highlighted the signatories' specific wording: "NGO crackdown." It sounds serious, but the fact is, that is not what happened in Hungary. He elaborated with the following statement:

The NGO legislation that’s currently under consideration calls for greater transparency, particularly transparency of groups operating with international funding, as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó pointed out in his statement. Civic groups remain an essential part of every democratic society, but when they’re carrying out activities funded by a foreign interest, they should be transparent about that.

This is also the firm position of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who Kovács quoted, " 'Hungarian citizens must be given the right to know about all public actors, who they are and who pays them. We have the right to know,' said Prime Minister Orbán. 'So we want transparency.' "

Hungary is not alone in its concerns about foreign interests meddling in its domestic politics. As Kovács noted, in March a group of US senators wrote a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, asking him to investigate claims that American tax-payer money is being used to back left-wing, globalist-billionaire George Soros's overseas agenda for sovereign nations: specifically the attempts to affect certain political outcomes.

Kovács pointed out that there have been numerous examples of foreign meddling in Hungary. He cited the example of a Hungarian parliamentary opposition figure who received assistance from the Washington-based Center for American Progress, which as Kovács wrote is, "...[A] group founded by John Pedesta and itself a Soros grantee."

Further to this, Kovács highlighted how the European edition of POLITICO described Soro's agenda as an "anti-Orbán agenda," due to Hungary's response to the migrant crisis with its tight border security.

Hungary's entire border security measures, including the 3,000 border-hunters, has successfully halted the Balkan migrant route, putting further pressure on other migrant options, most notably the Italian-North African route. It has drawn further attention to how it is all connected to Soros's agenda for Europe; an agenda that you can read about in detail from Kovács's recent blog post, Wondering what PM Orbán meant with that reference to the Soros plan? Here it is. 

Kovács also mentioned that some of the most vocal critics against Hungary's border security measures and policies come from NGOs funded by George Soros.

The concluding point that completes the debunking of the "NGO crackdown ruse" is the simple fact that Hungary's new legislation, in comparison to the American equivalent—Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)—is no where near as strict. To illustrate this point, Kovács quoted FARA, and then made it crystal clear that the signatories clearly were not in possession of the facts and probably just signed the letter without knowing the truth about Hungary's new legislation:

The United State [sic] has a federal law called the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. It says that people and organizations that are acting 'at the order, request, or under the direction or control' of a foreign government or organizations or persons outside the country must report their relationship with the foreign power. The report must disclose the related activities and finances. FARA is strict.

The new NGO regulations under consideration in Hungary are less strict than those of FARA.

If I were one of those asked to sign the letter and to lend my name to the cause, I would have wanted to know all of the above. I suspect that many did not know. They just signed it without checking.

They got taken in by the “NGO crackdown” ruse.

Putting the opposition to the new NGO law into perspective

In Hungary there are over 62,000 civic organizations in a country whose population is less than ten-million; the overwhelming majority of NGOs in Hungary have no objections to the new law.

Like in any other country, NGOs play an important role in Hungary's democracy, but a distinction must be made between grassroots and internationally funded NGOs. The former is typically made up of volunteers seeking to better their neighbourhood, town/city, province or state, and country as a whole, while the latter is quite a different situation. Foreign-funded NGOs are in essence a Trojan horse made up of personnel that refer to themselves as "civilians," but in fact, are actually are activists, and usually paid activists, whose goal is to propagate international interests, by directly interfering in the domestic politics of Hungary.

It is not surprising that civic organizations such as the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Helsinki Committee, and Amnesty International are so opposed to this new NGO law; all of whom have openly declared their intention to disobey it. It only begs the question, what are they hiding?

Objections from international NGOs have been based on the claim that Hungarian civil law discriminates and cannot be compared to the NGO legislation in other democracies. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As Zoltan Kovács pointed out in his blog post, Why do these NGOs resist transparency, such claims by the international NGOs do not connect to reality: German, Israeli and some aspects of American law (FARA) on foreign-funded NGOs are stricter than their Hungarian counterpart. He went on to further point out that in Austria, NGOs engaging in lobbying activity, such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace, have to register as lobbyists.

Further in the blog post, Kovács asks the reader, "What do these protesting organizations have in common?" In addition to being pro-migrant NGOs, who are adamantly opposed to Hungary's border security measures, they also have a shared agenda to bring about a moral disorder in Hungary; namely, the legalization of drug use and through the ideology of gender mainstreaming.

What I found particularly noteworthy was the candid manner in which Kovács spotlighted what these NGOs are all about, "Let’s be honest, the organizations raising their voices against the new NGO Act are not grassroots initiatives. They are vehicles to advance the agenda of foreign political interests. These organizations don’t stand on their own. They depend for their livelihood on funding from Soros sources."

Further to this, Kovács also pointed out that the objections of the NGOs have not been based on facts, but rather, an ideological opposition with no legal basis. Here is what he stated:

'The NGO Act is being criticized exclusively by the same organizations – with funding from George Soros – that are opposing the government in relation to migration,' said Deputy Justice Minister Pál Völner recently. Völner also pointed out that no correspondence has been received from the complaining organizations explaining any concrete legal problems that they claim exist in the new legislation, reinforcing the impression that theirs is an ideological opposition not based on real, legal issues.

It was interesting to read that all this opposition came about after the heir to the Open Society empire, Alexander Soros, met with representatives of NGOs.

A legitimate aim of ensuring transparency of civic organizations

I agree with most of the findings of the Venice Commission, who at the request of Hungary, reviewed the draft legislation, provided an opinion, and approved it as pursuing a, "...[P]rima facie legitimate aim and can be considered 'necessary in a democratic society in the interest of national security and public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others."

I particularly liked the commission's additional mention of another important point regarding transparency: how it may contribute to the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

The thrust of the commission's findings can be read in Kovács's blog post, Case Closed: Venice Commission says Hungary’s draft NGO law pursues ‘legitimate aim of ensuring transparency’.

In that post Kovács includes a few key points worth mentioning. The first is how he accurately illustrated—through a comparison of legislation with other countries—that Hungary's legislation is straightforward and clearly in line with the Venice Commission's finding of it being a legitimate aim. Here is what he wrote about this first point:

The Hungarian draft law, unlike the one in the United States, proposed relatively lighter reporting requirements and, contrary to the Israeli and Russian laws, avoids labeling foreign-funded NGOs as “agents”. Unlike a proposal in the European Parliament, it does not consider taking away public funding from these NGOs. Hungary’s draft law says that NGOs that receive funding from outside of Europe that exceeds a certain level must publicly declare that they receive funding from abroad in their materials and the registry. That’s pretty straightforward and clearly in line with what the Venice Commission says is a “legitimate aim”.

Of the commission's findings, there was one in particular that I did not agree with; that is, the point that Hungary's NGO law could have a "stigmatizing effect on those NGOs receiving foreign funding." Hungary had disagreed with the commission on this point. As Kovács noted, the NGO legislation, "...[D]oes not apply the term foreign 'agents' to these groups and the Commission’s concern would seem to be a contradiction to the opinion’s fundamental finding that 'it is legitimate, in order to secure transparency, to publicly disclose the identity of the [NGOs’] main sponsors.' "

Lastly, Kovács drew further attention to the fact all those who, "sounded off alarm bells," have done so without just cause, because the Venice Commision's opinion invalidates any claim that Hungary was carrying out a "NGO crackdown." To reiterate how legitimate Hungary's NGO law is, Kovács further referred to the the commission's opinion:

...the Commission said, the draft law pursues a legitimate aim of improving transparency of NGOs. What’s more, it is legitimate for a state to monitor the main sponsors of NGOs and legitimate to publicly disclose the identity of the main sponsors. It’s also not only legitimate but 'necessary in a democratic society' to require transparency of NGOs receiving funding from abroad in order to prevent them from being misused for foreign political goals.

Hungary's new NGO law is but one, in a long list of positive developments under the leadership of Viktor Orbán; a leadership that has proven itself over and over for seven straight years.

Zoltan Kovacs's blog post on North American criticism of the new NGO law. Photo: About Hungary Blog/Guess who else is concerned about foreign funding of NGOs

With respect to Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland's tweet on the day the new Hungarian NGO law took effect—calling it a “disappointing outcome”—it reflects badly on Canada. I totally disagree with her tweet.

If Freeland truly "values transparency & civil society as key facets of healthy democratic societies,” then she should retract her comment and apologize to Hungary.

What Freeland and many others fail to realize is that Hungary has got it right: the Hungarian model is working and it shows!

"Case closed."

Viktor Orbán’s Speech on the Anniversary of the 1848 Revolution

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in front of the National Museum, delivering his anniversary speech of the 1848 Revolution.
Photo: About Hungary Blog/In the spirit of 1848, says PM Orbán, we have a chance to transform Europe

On March 15, 2017, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered what I consider to be one of the most relevant and significant speeches for both Hungary and Europe, on a national day when Hungarians commemorate the 1848 Revolution; a revolution that became a war of independence from the Austrian Empire, ruled by the Habsburg dynasty.

Orbán's speech is just one in a long list of impressive speeches, given by a man whose leadership and patriotism is beyond reproach; a man who is, in my view, a modern day hero in the making.

Perhaps what best illustrates Orbán's unwavering patriotism and strong leadership abilities has been the exemplary manner in which he has fulfilled the primary responsibility of any prime minister; that is, to ensure the safety and security of the citizenry.

One need only look to the border security measures that Orbán has put in place since the summer of 2015; measures that have ensured that Hungary's borders are protected from hordes of so-called "refugees," (economic migrants) who not only pose a threat to the economic, political, and social stability of Hungarian society, but to the very core of Hungary's Christian identity, heritage, and culture.

Orbán accomplished this in a most identifiable way by the construction of two military fences at its borders, that together with a group of security forces—3000 border-hunters, modern-day border-fort garrisons, officers and the police, and members of the defence forces—has in effect, shut down the Balkan migrant route, of which Hungary was an extension.

To get an even greater sense of just how seriously Orbán takes his responsibility for providing safety and security, consider reading my blog post, Hungary's New Border-Hunters: A Response to the Ongoing Migrant Crisis.

Orbán's Speech

In keeping with a long-held tradition Orbán delivered his speech at the front steps of the National Museum, where in 1848, a mass demonstration—an event that is considered to be one of the central events that set the revolution in motion—against the Habsburg dynasty assembled during which the "Twelve Points" were read: a list of demands to the Habsburg governor co-authored by Sándor Petöfi and his Nemzeti Dal, a revolutionary poem.

Orbán began his speech by welcoming Polish visitors, who regularly attend this most important national day for Hungary; one that Poles intimately understand and support.

Using the analogy of taking a photograph, Orbán characterized the national celebration—a Hungarian national holiday—as synonymous to the taking a family photograph of the Hungarian people, who have stood the test of time in many battles, wars and uprisings, and through the sacrifice of many courageous compatriots, exist today allowing Hungarians, along with those courageous people from the past to be "photographed" together. It is a photograph that, in part, pays tribute to and honours those brave souls!

Referring to Hungary's history, Orbán mentioned how in the past, those who won battles against Hungary, eventually lost the war, "The Tartars are gone without a trace, the enormous Ottoman Empire wasted away, the Habsburg Empire evaporated, and the Soviet colossus simply perished." These are facts that Orbán referred to as irrefutable proof that, "...[W]e were, we are and we will be."

Perhaps one of the most salient points of the speech was with respect to Orbán's highlighting the importance of 1848, as a common thread that continues to run through Hungarian history and life, becoming both a touchstone and a moral compass for the Hungarian people. It is a point that can only be fully understood in Orbán's own words:

The importance of 1848 not only lies in the fact that it happened, but also in the fact that it has been happening ever since – and not only in our annual celebrations: 1848 has become our inner touchstone, and our moral compass. The touchstone and compass of ’48 indicate to this day the measure of every person in terms of their homeland: who is loyal, who is a patriot, who is committed, and who is brave. They show us what greatness is. But they also show us what pettiness is, what falsehood is, and what it is to kill dreams; what it is to build our country, and what it is to destroy it. The touchstone of 1848 defines our personal positions within the nation, and 1848 equally defines our position among nations. And we have reason to be proud of our position, which we deserve. In 1848–49, the Hungarian community contributed more people to fight under the flags of freedom than did all the other countries of Europe combined.

Orbán also referred to the 1848 revolution as a link between Rákóczi’s War of Independence (June 15, 1703 – May 1, 1711) and the October of 1956, which as he put it, "...[D]elineates the backbone of a great freedom-fighting nation and defines its historical bloodline..."

Continuing in the tradition of nation building, Orbán spoke of the important and fundamental duties and responsibilities that his current generation must take on and fulfill for the sake of the future generations: the duty to pass on to the younger generations a country with a spiritual and moral inheritance that will allow for the emergence of courageous individuals to fight for freedom; the task of safeguarding the country to retain the nation for them; to provide them with guidance on what they must do; and to ensure the continuity of the nation that includes the embracing of a variety of professions and fields of work.

Orbán spoke of the rebellion currently going on in Europe; a rebellion by nations against the "...[H]ypocritical alliance of Brussels bureaucrats, the global liberal media and international capital, with its insatiable appetite."  

Today in Europe, the "winds of '48 are blowing once more," as Orbán pointed out, but it is a rebellion whose energy can be released within constitutional boundaries and reforms brought about in a peaceful manner. In order for this to happen Orbán identified a few fundamental problems that must be resolved, "...[M]asks of hypocrisy in Brussels must be removed, and we need straight talking and open debate on the future. The machinations hidden behind fine principles must come to an end."

The Hungarian people are well positioned to spearhead the necessary changes; a people whose history and character has illustrated the important role Hungarians can play in the implementation of these changes. Orbán highlighted this important role by describing the spirit of the Hungarian people, paraphrasing Széchenyi, one of Hungary's most respected statesman:

Széchenyi urged us on by saying that when the whole of Europe disintegrates, Hungary – rising from its ashes – will, to the glory of humanity, stand guard over order, peace and freedom: just as when it once defended Christianity. When within us there is more patriotism than envy, and more civic virtue than desire for glory, I sincerely believe that the Hungarian nation will come to something – and something great.

Reinforcing the need for peaceful reforms, Orbán referred to the essence of the Twelve Points, "Let there be peace, freedom and accord."

Recognizing that there are some in society who do not want peace but division, Orbán emphasized that his focus is on nation building!

That nation-building effort was further emphasized when Orbán paraphrased Lajos Kossuth, "...[W]e are a nation, and we have the right and the strength to pursue our own goals, and not to be the tools of foreign ambitions." It is a statement that goes to the heart of Hungary's current struggles in the European Union and with those foreign interests trying to destabilize Orbán's government, so as to impose their own agenda, of which George Soros is at the top of that list.

Addressing Hungary's current problems with Brussels, Orbán continued to encourage his fellow citizens with several statements that made it abundantly clear to Brussels, that Hungary's history, people and future will not be manipulated or compromised by foreign interests and interference. Hungary is determined to manifest its own destiny because that destiny matters to Hungarians:

Perhaps neither the past nor the future of the Hungarian nation matters to Brussels and international capital – but they matter to us. Perhaps the security of the European people does not matter to Brussels and international capital – but it matters to us. Perhaps whether or not we remain Hungarian does not matter to Brussels and international capital – but it matters to us. We know what János Arany expressed thus in verse: “If the storm of times blows us away, God will be never more have Hungarians.” This is also true today, and this is what is at stake in today’s European rebellion. In defence of our independence and national sovereignty, we must bravely fight the battles that lie ahead of us. We must stop Brussels: we must protect our borders; we must prevent the resettlement of migrants; we must make the networks that receive their funding from abroad transparent; we must keep the right to regulate taxes, wages and household utility charges here at home. And in this, Dear Friends, we can only rely on ourselves. Therefore we must continue to keep the responsibility of governance within the nation.

Most noteworthy was Orbán's effort to strengthen the bonds of amongst Hungarians by emphasizing an extremely important aspect of nationhood; that is, "A nation is not only a shared language, culture and past, but also the sum of every moment in which the trials of history weld our hearts together." 

Elaborating further, Orbán mentioned how Hungary's rebellion against the slavery of debt has welded together the hearts of the Hungarian people; and so has Hungary's struggle for economic independence and the repelling of the "mass population movement."

Hungarians today stand on their own feet, "eat their own bread," and do not serve the interests of foreign powers. Today, Hungarians are a unity people with strengthened families.

Progress has been made in the form of breaking through barriers of class, background, age, religion and political belief, all of which adds to the growing list of positive achievements in Hungarian society. All this, as Orbán reminded the audience, was accomplished under the pressure from the "alliance of hypocrites."

Orbán concluded his speech with a warning, that all Hungarians should be cognizant of the fact that unity needs to be maintained with hard work, and on a daily basis. He also pointed out the need for Hungarians to protect their achievements, "There is no achievement which will defend itself."

Further to this he stated that, it is up to Hungarians to defend unity and achievements, and to advance both in an effort to make society functional. 

Orbán ended his speech with a very optimistic statement that is telling of the continued success—the details of which can be read at my blog post from Orbán's State of the Nation address—that Hungary has enjoyed since 2010, "The Hungarian nation is strengthening and rising, and, through its talent and hard work, will rightly receive recognition among the community of European nations. The name of Hungary will again be a fine one, worthy of its great fame in days gone by. Long live Hungarian freedom, long live our homeland."

God bless Hungary.

Why I am Voting for Kellie Leitch

My Conservative Party of Canada leadership race ballot with Kellie Leitch as my only choice.

When I think about why I am voting for Kellie Leitch, many things come to mind: her toughness, courage, certitude, intelligence, stamina, and many other character strengths; a platform that consists of bold, common-sense policy proposals that are the much needed solutions to many of Canada's problems; her impressive performances at each leadership debate; her effective use of social media to make her platform and campaign better known and understood; her outreach to Canadians across the country; and the overall successful execution of a well thought-out and planned campaign.

Above all else, what stands out about Kellie Leitch is her patriotism: a common thread that runs through her entire campaign. It is expressed in a most identifiable way through her unwavering determination to protect and promote our Canadian identity with her Screening For Canadian Values policy proposal, which has resonated very well with me right from the start.

No other candidate can compare to Kellie's character strengths; nor, have any been able to match her policy proposals!

I vividly recall from my initial discovery of the candidates' platforms that none of them had impressed me except for Kellie Leitch's. Her platform was detailed and available on line from day one of her campaign launch, and it was presented in a very clear, complete, and forthcoming manner. How refreshing is that to see in a candidate?

Leitch's campaign has excited and given new hope to millions of Canadians; two-thirds of which share and support Kellie's vision for the future of Canada.

Part of that excitement stems from another impressive aspect about Kellie Leitch: she has been the only candidate unafraid to challenge the status quo and the political correctness that the mainstream media and elites continue to impose upon Canadians.

My own excitement and enthusiasm for Kellie's campaign has been funnelled through a dedicated blogging and social media effort. Today's blog post is the sixth in a series of blog posts that I have written since January of this year, in support of Kellie's candidacy for the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

I firmly believe that it is important to not only vote, but to get involved in the political process, if you are really serious about making a difference and affecting a long lasting, positive change in society.

The remainder of this post expands upon getting involved in the political process; elaborates on Kellie's tough immigration stance including her important message of February 2; details Kellie's response to the illegal border crossings at Emerson, Manitoba; includes a brief note on Kellie's strength of character; and concludes with my encouragement to all those who remain undecided about choosing Kellie as their first pick on the ballot.

Getting Involved in the Political Process

When one thinks of a political campaign it doesn't necessarily conjure up a sense of excitement, enthusiasm and intrigue. Given the growing distrust and disappointment of Canadians with our current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada, it is certainly understandable why many remain skeptical and frustrated about politics.

I share those frustrations, but rather than give into them, I decided many months ago to turn those frustrations into something positive, by getting involved and actively seeking to help Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership candidate, Kellie Leitch.

My decision to do so was in large part the result of the Trump-effect in Canada, taking to heart what I wrote about in my post-election blog post, Donald Trump's Election: A Call to Christians to Get Back Into The Political Arena. 

In that post I included a dedicated section on Christian Evangelist Franklin Graham who went from coast to coast, during his Decision America Tour, and spoke at each state's capital getting the message out to the American people to do three fundamental things: pray, vote, and engage in the political process.

In addition, I also wrote about Saint Pope John Paul II's post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Christifideles Laici (Christ's Faithful People) on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world. It is a document that is known for St. Pope John Paul II's directive, "It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle," which referred to the need of the laity to get actively involved in social, economic, political, and cultural life.

Among the many things that I learned from President Trump during the American election experience is that social media is an effective way to bypass the nonsense of fake news and skewed statistics from mainstream media—or to quote Pamela Geller, the "enemedia"—to obtain and share the truth.

Much in the same way that President Trump broke with precedent and presented a campaign platform with bold policy proposals that addressed the needs and concerns of the American people, so too has Kellie Leitch done likewise with the current CPC leadership race. If there a common ground between both individuals that serves to potentially bring both countries together in a united effort, it is their respective tough stances on immigration and protecting borders.

Kellie Leitch is Canada's compliment to President Trump, so necessary not only for a united, stronger North America, but even more so for Canada as "the" candidate who will undo the neglectful, irresponsible, and reckless policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Leitch's Tough Immigration Stance

What initially attracted me to Leitch's campaign was her tough stance on immigration; so urgently needed to address our growing demographic problems.

I was alerted to that tough stance, ironically through mainstream media television, where I saw Kellie holding up Vic Satzewich's book, Points of Entry: How Canada's Immigration Officers Decide Who Gets In. It was soon thereafter that I began to look into who Kellie Leitch was and discovered her platform at her web site, https://kellieworks.ca.

Kellie Leitch during the Conservative Party of Canada leadership debate in Saskatoon on November 9, 2016.
Photo: National Post/John Ivison

It wasn't long before I homed in on Kellie's Screening For Canadian Values policy proposal, which not only promotes our Canadian identity and shared historic values, but seeks to protect it by ensuring that those who seek to come to Canada—be they immigrants, visitors, or refugees—receive a face-to-face interview by a trained immigration officer.

Interviews are the only way that immigration officers can accurately and thoroughly assess credibility and risk, and in the process identify those who are genuine applicants from those who are not.

Sadly, our immigration officers conduct very few interviews which is a symptom of an even bigger problem: the lack of nation building in Canada's immigration system. Kellie has identified this from day one of her campaign launch in mid-October 2016:

...I will continue to argue that Canadians want to protect our nation, our way of life – our Canadian values, our Canadian identity, a Canadian identity that so many people have fought and died for. 

Now the question turns to: Why should we screen? And, what are we screening for? The discussion of immigration and screening seems to focus heavily on questions of security and keeping out undesirables. 

When it doesn’t focus on these items it tends to focus on economic matters. 

But there is another aspect of the immigration system that is being over-looked which, applies what I have been talking about with thousands of Canadians over the last 8 months. 

That is the concept of immigration as an act of nation-building. A process that strengthens our country, the fabric of who we are, and what we will be in the future. 

This is reflected in the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act which states that the purpose of the act is to enrich the social and cultural fabric of our nation. 

I believe the significant decline of face to face interviews detracts from the concept of nation-building. (4)

Kellie's campaign launch speech is available in both a pdf document and on YouTube.

Kellie has consistently communicated the importance of protecting and promoting our Canadian identity based on shared historic values throughout her campaign. Most noteworthy was her detailed email of February 2, An Important Message From Kellie Leitch. In that email Kellie talked about many aspects of her tough stance on immigration that is worth mentioning.

An Important Message From Kellie Leitch

Vic Satewich's book and the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence report

I recall when seeing Kellie's February 2, email in my inbox folder that the title had intrigued me somewhat: it was for good reason. Kellie presented her plan to screen all immigrants, refugees, and visitors to Canada for Canadian values with face-to-face interviews with a trained immigration officer.

It is an impressive email in which Kellie detailed her plan that included taking the screening process to the next level by checking the social media posts of all applicants. She also hit back at the criticisms of her tough immigration stance. Noteworthy was the substantiation of her immigration concerns and screening proposal by citing from Satzewich's book and the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence's report, Vigilance, Accountability and Security at Canada's Borders.

One of the more salient points that Kellie made was with respect to the important decisions that we as Canadians will have to make regarding our future; part of which includes not taking our free and prosperous society for granted. To ensure that we don't will require the conscious effort of Canadians to build and protect our society, and under no circumstances should we relax and fall under the assumption that as Kellie put it, "...[A] free, prosperous, and tolerant Canada will take care of itself."

The relevance of that most salient point can be best understood when it comes to decisions made about immigration. Many people want to come and live in Canada, but as Kellie so aptly pointed out, "...[I]s our immigration system doing the best it can?" The answer to that question is: no! 

As to the details of why that is, Kellie cited from Satzewich's book and the aforementioned senate report which made abundantly clear that thorough screening is not taking place at Canada's immigration offices, which points to an even bigger problem: the lack of nation building within Canada's immigration system. Here is what Kellie stated:

Immigration officers meet only a handful of the people whose applications they process. The result is the loss of "opportunities to assess credibility and risk" (page 216). 

Testimony before the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence tells us that "only between nine and fifteen percent of immigrants receive an interview with a visa officer before they come to Canada" (page 14). 

That means that, in a year like last year, when more than 300,000 immigrants were admitted to Canada, only about 30,000 people were interviewed by a trained immigration official.

The reason for the lack of interviews is the focus on achieving predetermined quotas. The immigration bureaucracy, led by immigration ministers of different stripes, has put greater importance on the number of people who are admitted to Canada each year, rather than ensuring that those who are admitted will integrate well into our communities.

What has further impressed me about Kellie's tough immigration stance was the "second part of her plan," which would require all immigrants, refugees, and visitors to Canada, to not only understand, but agree with our Canadian values: hard work, generosity, freedom, tolerance, equality of individuals, and equality of opportunity.

Taking the screening process one step further to ensure that application dossiers are complete, Kellie's proposal insists upon each immigration officer's review of each applicant's social media posts, and other relevant information to, as Kellie put it, "...[E]nsure that we have a complete picture of those who are applying to come to Canada."

Kellie's toughness was on further display in this email when she defended her proposal against all criticism. Leitch made it crystal clear that in no way is her policy "racist," but applies equally to everyone regardless of where they were born. She went on to elaborate, "...As a nation we are as interested in keeping out white supremacists as we are in keeping out those who believe women are property."

In defence of those who claim such an approach is costly, Leitch made it clear that the costs of thorough interviews will be borne by the applicants, except those who are refugees which the government will incur. 

As for those who consider these screening procedures evasive, Leitch fired back by stating that the procedures are no more evasive or offensive than those used in other government departments. Moreover Leitch stressed that these are some of the most important decisions we will be making as a nation, that "...[W]e must make sure we make them with as much information as possible."

Some have argued that Leitch's proposal will easily result in application refusals. While this is true, it also means that genuine applicants will be accepted: those who are who they claim to be; those who meet the eligibility criteria for the visa; and those who are not inadmissible to Canada for reasons of public safety, security, or health conditions.

With regard to Leitch's response that immigration will be slowed down, this is only a natural result of a thorough screening process. Those who are fixated on quotas (visa issuance approvals) fail to understand what Kellie made abundantly clear, "...[O]ur immigration system is too important to get hung up numbers and quotas. That is the error of past governments."

Kellie is adamant about protecting our Canadian identity based on our shared historic values. Her Screening For Canadian Values policy proposal has been based on her travels across the country listening to the needs and concerns of Canadians. The result of which has seen two-thirds of Canadians share and support Kellie's vision for the future of Canada. As Kellie noted in the beginning of her email, "Everywhere I go, I hear the same message: Canadians are proud of their country. They are proud of our unified identity and they are proud of shared historic values."

No other candidate will defend Canadian identity and shared historic values as Kellie will. As I noted from the beginning of this blog post, Kellie has been clear and forthcoming about her detailed policy proposal from day one of her campaign launch.

This is in stark contrast to the other candidates, some of whom had a vague or ambiguous immigration policy to begin with, and over the course of the campaign developed what amounted to be nothing more than poorly worded bombast: a desperate attempt to appear to address the concerns of Canadians.

Others have had little or nothing to say about Canada's growing demographic problems, which speaks volumes about their respective candidacies: status-quo candidates who seek to please their betters, of which Maxime Bernier is at the top of that list!

Kellie's Position on Illegal Border Crossings

Kellie Leitch meeting with local officials in Emerson, Manitoba on April 21, 2017. Photo: Facebook/Kellie Leitch

They say that "actions speak louder than words!" Well, Kellie has certainly demonstrated this in a most admirable way with her fairly recent visit to Emerson, Manitoba; a location that has become a hub for border crossers and "asylum shoppers." Kellie spent a few days in Manitoba speaking with residents and local officials, which can be viewed at her Facebook page, beginning with her release of April 21: her arrival in Emerson. Kellie also visited residents in Altona and Morris.

Emerson is just one of a handful of preferred border crossing locations by illegals; there are others in Saskatchewan and Quebec as well. The border crossers are primarily individual men in their prime, who have been living in the United States for quite some time or recently arrived to make the trip to Emerson and other locations.

If you are somewhat new to this or have not seen much footage of it, here is a video report, FAKE NEWS: Border Crisis Not Trump’s Fault, by Faith Goldy of The Rebel. It exposes Canada's border crossing crisis that is sure to increase as the warmer weather approaches.

Make no mistake about it, Kellie is adamantly opposed to these illegal border crossings and firmly believes that a plan is needed to deal with it.

During the CPC Edmonton debate, candidates were asked how they would deal with the illegal border crossings from the United States. Here is how Kellie responded:

These people have entered our country illegally. They should be detained, questioned, and sent back to the United States immediately. Let me be very clear, I have been talking about this serious issue of immigration since the beginning of the campaign. Other candidates on this stage are now twisting themselves into pretzels to talk about it as well. I will implement what I talk about whether that's detaining these individuals now or whether it be interviewing every immigrant, refugee, and visitor to Canada, I will make sure that we protect our Canadian values. Let's be very clear this is important to our nation, this is a serious issue that individuals and democracies around the globe are talking about, but we have a government with their head in the sand and many candidates as well. Thank you.

Kellie's certitude and unapologetic delivery of this message is worth watching on YouTube. It is a display of leadership qualities in action, what one hopes for in a candidate: a real, sincere desire to protect our Canadian borders!

Kellie's visit to Manitoba further highlights how she has successfully distinguished herself from the other candidates, none of whom went to Manitoba; which speaks volumes about their concerns regarding Canada's open borders. 

Sadly, not even our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has gone to Mantioba or the other border crossing hubs which, in and of itself, is an indictment on Trudeau's "leadership."

Kellie's Strength of Character

Kellie Leitch's campaign has attracted me in large part due to Kellie's strength of character, which has come shining through in the way that she has handled a multitude of challenges and personal attacks.

It takes fortitude, certitude, and courage to embark on a campaign as Kellie has, knowing full well it would be met with sharp criticism and a planned effort by her opponents, the mainstream media, and the elites to shut her down. Those efforts have been primarily channeled through the mainstream media, to which I have dedicated a separate blog post, The Trump-effect in Canada and the Enemedia's Attempt to Stop Kellie Leitch.

Kellie has done an exceptional job of ignoring the hate and focussed on delivering the message that most Canadians have been desperate to hear. One need not look further than to the onslaught of fake news and skewed poll statistics that have been part of an ongoing effort to derail her campaign and stop it altogether. Such efforts have been a complete and total failure; they have in no way negatively impacted Kellie or her campaign. 

The failure of poll after poll after poll to create a narrative that suited Kellie's opponents and enemies, has been in large part due to the fact that Kellie's support has never been a function of polls, but based on her common-sense policy proposals that 74% of Canadians share and support. This is fundamental to understanding Kellie's campaign to which I dedicated another separate blog post, Kellie Leitch's Support is Not a Function of Polls But Based on Common-Sense Policy Proposals. 

To run for the leadership of the CPC also requires intelligence, toughness, stamina, and a tireless work ethic which Kellie has displayed in a variety of ways: her continued travels across the country; her well prepared and impressive debate performances; the consistent and effective use of social media, especially her Facebook releases and YouTube videos, and numerous email updates.

This has served Kellie well in her efforts to not only refute so much of the nonsense from her opponents and enemies, but to better inform supporters of her policies, latest efforts, and campaign developments; all of which has contributed to the execution of a well thought-out and planned campaign.

It is Kellie's strength of character that has played a big role in the successful effort to distinguish herself and her campaign from the other candidates.

My Encouragement to all Those Who Remain Undecided

With so many candidates in this leadership race, it can be quite the challenge to determine who your first choice will be. This especially holds true if you haven't had the time to navigate each candidate's web site, follow their social media posts, and compare their respective platforms.

I hope that today's post has helped undecided members to consider Kellie Leitch as their first choice, and perhaps their only choice!

Consider the fact that we are at the crossroads of either losing our country to leftists and foreign interests—who have developed a partnership with the Liberal Party of Canada—or taking our country back through the leadership of Kellie Leitch.

Make no mistake about it, Kellie Leitch is a patriot whose many common-sense policy proposals are the answer to Canada's future. Kellie is adamant about protecting and promoting Canadian identity and she is the only candidate with a policy proposal that is clear about how she will go about doing this.

To my fellow undecided members of the Conservative Party of Canada, I ask you to join me in making Kellie Leitch the new leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister of Canada.


God Bless Canada