Retirement Speech by Árpád Göncz

Retirement Speech by Árpád Göncz (Népszava, 4 August 2000)*

… Ten years ago, Parliament elected me to the Office of the President of the Republic - the first servant of the Hungarian population … The Constitution precisely defined the character of the Office and the task of the Office-holder. The President represents the unity of the nation and safeguards the democratic functioning of state institutions above party politics.

The right to represent and safeguard is not the same as the exercise of power. Even the Constitution obliges the President to have a minister’s counter-signature for the exercise of issuing a pardon. When the President has reservations about the constitutionality of laws, he can only express this through sending it to Parliament for reconsideration or the Constitutional Court. The Constitution vests the President with real power only in extraordinary circumstances, or, in the event of the outbreak of a war.

His voice – the convincing power of truth – thus only supports confidence in the presidential service. This voice expresses the desires and anxieties of the Hungarian population, the majority of whom are the rich and poor and the literate and illiterate alike. If he does this, the president is the living conscience of the country, and possibly becomes a mediator of the people. He is responsible for the people in terms of a moral aspect […].

The only instrument to me was my voice. It is possible that I made mistakes more than once. It is possible that I spoke out in situations in which I should not have done so. It is possible that I remained silent when I had to speak. But, silence sometimes speaks louder than words.  […].

I worked with four governments altogether. I did not agree with any of them in every regard. But there is no reason or right to doubt their goodwill... I am indebted to the achievements the four governments have made. I am indebted to the country for its resolute attitute towards the future. And I am grateful for the citizens who living beyond our borders, my Hungarian brothers, for their respect and love.

Finally, let me say one sentence. With the help of God, in the last day of my ten years’ working day, I can say this 

THANK YOU HUNGARY!

* (English translation from Dae Soon Kim’s PhD Thesis entitled „A Political Biography of Hungary’s First Post-Communist President, Árpád Göncz” p. 208.)