Europe Day Festival in Budapest

A free all-day festival was held in Budapest to celebrate Hungary's accession to the European Union. This year's event was packed with exciting and colorful activities. There was a chance to run with famous Olympians in the now traditional Europe Day running race, but music lovers and families were also in for a treat with free concerts, quizzes and children's activities on Szabadság Square.

The festival kicked off with the "19 years - 19 km - EU Run", a barrier-free running race featuring two multiple Olympic champions - water polo player Dr. Gergely Kiss and kayaker Botond Storcz. A total of 1,483 individual runners and 499 two- and three-man relay teams crossed the start line at this year's event.

Staff from the European Commission Representation in Hungary, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Budapest, some representatives of the Hungarian Ministry of Energy and members of the europaert.eu community also took part.

In his opening speech, the Acting Head of the European Commission Representation in Hungary, Mátyás Maksi, stated that "today, on the anniversary of the famous Schuman Declaration that launched European integration, we also celebrate European unity and solidarity. This community of values and interests, the result of an integration process that started seven decades ago, is based on cooperation and values such as freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. Together, they make Europe one of the most stable and prosperous regions in the world. Our membership of the EU also brings huge benefits for our country and ensures our long-term development. My wish for all of us is that the day-to-day political wrangling should never obscure this big picture."

In addition to the race, the morning was dedicated to family and children's activities. Following the announcement of the results of the race, a series of concerts continued until the evening. This year's festival also focused on the situation of refugees from Ukraine and solidarity with Ukraine, with a special performance by Ukrainian artists in the afternoon.

The NGOs participating in the festival had a particularly exciting program. In the context of the European Year of Skills, a number of professional organizations active in the field of training, further education and retraining were present, as were several organizations working with refugees to give visitors a first-hand look at their work. The Europe Point tent also offered visitors a chance to explore other exciting and topical themes, with talks by writers, experts and parents on the world of 21st century knowledge and skills, followed by a quiz, according to a Europe Point statement.

The Europe Day events were organized by the European Commission Representation in Hungary and the European Parliament Liaison Office in Hungary.