Orbán: ‘Weak nations to fall, strong to survive’

“We are in times when the world’s foundations are shaking … with the global earthquake’s epicentre being right next door,” Orbán said referring to the war in neighbouring Ukraine, adding that Hungary was also “under siege” by illegal migrants in the south.

“We need a strong country, strong government, strong economy, strong armed forces, and last but not least strong law enforcement,” the prime minister said.

At the ceremony, held in front of the Ludoviceum, the university’s historical building, Orban said the building was a symbol, that of “faithfulness to the homeland, serving the nation, responsibility for the community, the realisation that the strong have an obligation to save those weaker.” “We need strong people because truth is worth little without power,” he added.

Referring to young people choosing a career in law enforcement, Orbán said their choice was a “declaration of their Hungarian identity”. “They will serve the peace and security of the Hungarian nation, commit themselves to staying strong in difficult times, protect the weak and the vulnerable, and stop those that jeopardise Hungary’s peace and security,” he said.

Orbán said the young officers had joined a “successful and respectable organisation … police officers in the past decade earned people’s trust and have retained that confidence.” Hungary’s crime rate has dropped, and the country has become “one of the safest or perhaps the safest” EU member, he added.

The ceremony, at which 166 graduates took their oaths of office, was attended by Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky, and top law enforcement officials.