President Novak: Forces at work to ‘tear families apart’
Novak called motherhood a “privilege” but women should not be forced to choose between motherhood and a career.
In the West, she noted at the event held on Monday, women enjoy similar opportunities to men in terms of education, career, and workplace advancement. The main difference “is whether we have children or not”, she said, adding that she has three children.
The president said the traditional family, the basis of Judeo-Christian culture, was “under attack”. The family and family values must be protected, she declared.
Novak said that forces were at work “to tear families apart” and discourage young people from having children. Many see family life as outdated, she said, yet “our values do not change with the passage of time”.
Families comprising a mother, father and children “are in the crosshairs”, she said, adding that many “look down” on those who successfully raise children.
She said the Hungarian family-oriented model was under attack and forces were working to “prevent us from deciding how to raise our children”.
The president said that people who had not assumed responsibility for raising children “want to raise our children”. “[B]ut we will protect our children, our culture and our traditions,” she said.
Meanwhile, Novak quoted Pope Francis as saying that “there are no just wars”.
The president underlined Hungary’s “firm commitment to peace”. “We Christians, we Hungarians, we mothers” do not want to add fuel to this war, “we want to end it,” she said, adding that the suffering mainly affected families.
On the event’s sidelines, the president had a bilateral meeting with Morocco’s foreign minister.