Regional development minister marks 1956 anniversary in Veszprem

Navracsics said there were always fierce debates about October 23 each year, with some calling it “a fundamentally right-wing revolution against the leftist, communist regime”, and others “a revolution of leftists intending to improve things against the inhumane communist regime”.

“Some say it was conservative, others call it progressive, but it appears that we can’t agree when it comes to October 23,” the minister said.

“But if we look at the heroes of 1956, it’s obvious what October 23 was about,” he said.

Navracsics cited the example of revolutionaries who were executed or deported to the Soviet Union after the freedom fight.

What they and Arpad Brusznyai — who was also executed — have in common is that they risked their lives for the cause of the 1956 revolution, he said. “What they did was stand up for life under a regime that was against life,” he added.