20 August is the celebration of sovereign Hungarian statehood, the origin of a thousand years of Hungarian life – Highlights of the Ceremony

With military honours and in the presence of President Tamás Sulyok, the Hungarian national flag was raised during the state celebration held in Kossuth Lajos Square in front of the Parliament on the national holiday, 20 August.

The Head of State, as Commander-in-Chief of the Hungarian Armed Forces, greeted the members of the armed forces, with special attention to the graduates gathered for their commissioning ceremony. Addressing the officers, the President said that the peace of the homeland and the security of the Hungarian state depend on the loyalty of its service members, and that our homes, neighbours, culture and values are preserved and maintained by the freely chosen loyalty, service and sacrifice of the Hungarian people. Tamás Sulyok stated that Hungary is a sovereign European constitutional state imbued with Christian values, a home to generous, free people who share a common destiny.

The Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary was presented by President Tamás Sulyok to research astronauts Bertalan Farkas and Tibor Kapu at Sándor Palace on the national holiday of 20 August. The head of state emphasised: "Every year, we award the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary as Hungary's highest honour, and this year we would like to express our gratitude to two outstanding figures in Hungarian space exploration, whose achievements have not only earned them a place in the history of space research and science, but also in the hearts of the Hungarian people. Just as the successes of our athletes and the world-renowned inventions of our inventors are a source of joy and pride for all Hungarians, so too are the fantastic space missions of today's honourees rightly surrounded by the admiration of millions of Hungarians," emphasised the head of state.

Upon receiving the award, Bertalan Farkas said that he would like to ask that "our small, wonderful country, which is beautiful even from above, be an island of peace in Central Europe, in Europe and on our wonderful planet, where peace, tranquillity, harmony and shared thinking can be achieved."

Tibor Kapu recalled that at the end of his mission, when he could finally relax, he felt the greatest desire to act and the greatest passion. He added that with this motivation, this desire to act, and this passion, he would like to continue working for Hungarian science and Hungarian space research and to stand by future Hungarian astronauts.

On the occasion of the national holiday, the head of state promoted members of the police and armed forces to the rank of general and appointed senior officers as generals. Dr. Tamás Sulyok wished the generals of the armed forces and the police strength, health and success in their work.
The Head of State received Dom Duarte Pio de Bragança, head of the House of Bragança, descendant of Portugal's last ruling family, Duke of Bragança, at Sándor Palace on the national holiday. Tamás Sulyok told his guest: "I am particularly pleased that you have chosen this important day for the Hungarian nation for your visit to Hungary. We both believe in social justice, which serves as a compass for our countries, helping us to navigate the world of moral decisions, public policy and social relations."

This year again, 20 August ended with a spectacular fireworks display, which was a fitting culmination to the national holiday.