New Year’s Address by the President of the Republic

"We stand on the threshold of 2024 full of expectation and hope, confident that we can face our tasks with renewed energy, vitality and momentum," the President of the Republic, Katalin Novák said in her New Year's greeting broadcast by public media after the singing of the National Anthem on Monday.

"We trust in talent, diligence and grace," the President said, calling on all Hungarians to run, hike, swim, cycle, play football and exercise in 2024, regardless of their age.

"Let's exercise together, let 2024 also be the year of physical activity", Katalin Novák said, adding that we should take a leaf out of the book of professional athletes and not only cheer, but also move.

In her speech, the President of the Republic recalled the memorable events of 2023, "when we had reason to rejoice and be proud", including the visit of Pope Francis to Budapest, the Nobel Prize of Katalin Karikó and Ferenc Krausz, the World Athletics Championships, and the football team's qualification for the European Championship.

Katalin Novák said it was good to see the President of Hungary being received with respect in all 30 countries where she officially visited in 2023. "They know that we are a talented nation, with a strong sense of self-awareness, a strong mind and a strong spirit," she said, adding that even if they do not always understand us, they listen to us. "Personally, I am also working to turn this attention into understanding and cooperation," he stressed.

The President of the Republic recalled that there is war in Ukraine and Israel, mass protests, economic and political instability in the world. Here at home, there is anxiety and a struggle for everyday life, but we can live in peace, he stressed.

Katalin Novák described 2023 as the year of encounters and thanked people for "helping us to walk with open eyes, ears and hearts."

The President of the Republic recalled December 2003, when Hungarians looked forward to the New Year in the knowledge that Hungary would soon become a member of the European Union. "Today, we see the benefits, the difficulties and we have not forgotten for a moment: we were promised full membership," she pointed out.

The President of the Republic also pointed out that newborns, children and grandchildren are the source of hope and serenity, they are the reason for spending money, building the country, teaching, and we want to create a more predictable, peaceful and happy future for them.

At the end of her speech, Katalin Novák wished all Hungarians a hopeful New Year.