Csaba Sógor's campaign-2009

2009-05-15

The most important thing for people living as a part of the Hungarian diaspora is the opportunity to study in their native language, said Csaba Sógor in Beszterce-Naszód County [Bistriţa-Nãsãud].


Csaba Sógor's campaign bus toured Magyarnemegye [Nimigenii de Jos], Teke [Teaca] and Szentmáté [Matei] on Friday, 15 May. The European parliamentary candidate campaigned on the streets of all three villages, and also took part in a civil debate. Those present were primarily interested in issues related to the teaching of children and young people living in the diaspora. Sógor said: "We place particular emphasis on the training of young Hungarians living in the diaspora, and our aim is for education to conform to European standards." He added that, to this end, the "Alliance for the Diaspora" association is providing substantive assistance to a total of 24 "diaspora colleges" from an annual HUF 25 million set aside for the financing of "Institutions and Programmes of National Importance."

In the town of Beszterce [Bistriţa], the candidate attended a concert of classical music in the local synagogue, and then took part in the opening ceremony of the National Religious Studies and Theology Olympiad at the Reformed Church Thanksgiving Home.

At the official opening ceremony, Sógor said he had arrived at the synagogue where the pre-opening concert was held having visited the Saxon Evangelical Church at Harina [Herina]. "I can see that something is still missing from this country," said the European parliamentary candidate. "We live in Europe, where our greatest treasure is our cultural diversity. But still, after 800 years, 800,000 German-speaking people have left the country, while most of the people who built the synagogue have also disappeared. This is why it is our common duty to safeguard Europe's diversity of cultures and languages. To achieve this we need not only economic strength, but also a return to our Christian roots. I hope that the students competing in this Olympiad will be citizens of a Europe where everything is done to ensure that nobody feels they are in a minority."

Sógor also pledged a visit to Brussels as a special prize for the winners of the Olympiad and their accompanying teachers.