Paul Sarkozy Citizen of Szolnok, Hungary

Painter Paul Sarkozy, the father of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has been made the Citizen of Szolnok, a town in East-Central Hungary the town where he was born as Pál Sárközy, for his work as an artist and for enhancing the image of the town.

Speaking highly of the recipient of the title, Szolnok Mayor Ferenc Szalay pointed out at the ceremony that the Sárközy family had played a determining role in the life of Szolnok for generations. For instance, Pál Sárközy’s father served the town’s vice mayor in charge of cultural affairs. He added that the tireless activity and arduous work could serve as an example for all citizens in Szolnok.

The 84-year-old Pál Sárközy said he was proud to be from Szolnok and was glad to have the opportunity to speak his native Hungarian again. He recalled that he emigrated to France in 1948, at the age of 11, but he said “spiritually, he never left Szolnok.” He said it was a special experience for him to return to Szolnok again in the fall of 2009 in order to collect material for his autobiography.

Since then, he has been several times in the town situated on the bank of the Tisza River. Even an exhibition of his paintings was organized and there was also great interest in the presentation of his autobiography.