The first foreign visit of the new Prime Minister of Hungary, Péter Madl, began in Poland. He previously visited Kraków and held official intergovernmental talks in Warsaw. In Gdańsk, he took a stroll through the city center with Donald Tusk and met with residents.
In Gdańsk, the Hungarian leader met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and spoke with residents during a walk along the Royal Route. At the Artus Court, the delegation was welcomed by the Mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz.
Speaking on the steps of the Artus Court, she stated:
— Together with the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, who is primarily a Gdańsk resident, we wholeheartedly welcome the democratic leader — a person who has proven that the will of the people, if fought for persistently, can overcome even the greatest evil.
While presenting the Hungarian Prime Minister with a graphic featuring the «Solidarity» logo by Jerzy Janiszewski, Dulkiewicz added:
— I hope this symbol will find a place not only in your office but, above all, in your heart.
Péter Madl addressed the crowd gathered at the Artus Court:
— Good day, residents of Gdańsk. It is a great honor for me to be here with you. This is an important moment — my first foreign visit as Prime Minister. It was a dream I spoke about during the two-year election campaign — to come to Poland. I promised that if I gained the trust of the Hungarian people, I would, with the consent of the Polish government, make my first official visit here. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity.
He emphasized the special significance of Gdańsk for Europe:
— This is a unique place not only for Poland but for all of Europe. World War II began here, «Solidarity» was born here, communism fell here, and it is here that your Prime Minister was born, — he noted. — I am glad to be here on such a beautiful day. I will do everything possible — and I am confident that the Hungarian people will support me — to strengthen Polish-Hungarian friendship. I was deeply moved by my trip to Kraków, where I visited the cathedral, and here in Gdańsk, I also feel strong emotions.
— Long live Polish-Hungarian friendship! Thank you, — he concluded.
— «Lengyel, magyar, két unokaöccse,» — replied Donald Tusk in Hungarian. — When our guest and I walked along Długa Street, I told him that he was in the most beautiful place on earth. At first, he didn’t believe it, but thanks to you — after all, cities are made by people — he changed his mind. Everything best in Europe began in Gdańsk, and recently — in Hungary as well.
The Prime Minister of Poland also recounted that during a meeting at the Uphagen House, Lech Wałęsa reminded him of the words he spoke during the struggle against the system:
“They can kill me, but they will never win.”
