A commemorative meeting was held in Budapest, on the Day of the Hungarian Language. Those present at the Petőfi Literary Museum spoke of what the Hungarian language means to them. The event was organised by the Ministry of Human Resources, the Hungarian Academy of Arts and the Association for Promotion of the Mother Tongue.
László L. Simon, Minister of State for Culture, spoke of how the most important factors for the spread of the culture of educated speech is the setting of examples and awareness-raising, and said that a law in itself is not able to protect the language. He considers the greatest problem to be in the use of scientific language, although today all areas of science can be pursued in the Hungarian language. He also said that the Ministry of Human Resources is launching a publishing programme in 2013 – with a budget of HUF 100 million – for promotion of the use of Hungarian in science.
In 2011 Parliament unanimously declared 13 November to be the Day of the Hungarian Language, as on that day in 1844 the law was adopted which made Hungarian an official state language.
(Office of the Human Rights Working Group, EMMI)