Page 57 - The Voyage of Hungarian Christian Democracy - Edited by Mária Rita Kiss

People’s Party is to mobilize those segments of society for participation in public life that held
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on to Christian faith and traditions and were persecuted and oppressed in the past years… Our
mission is to get prepared for the long-term duty of integrating the broad spectrum of masses
that hold on to European Christian values.” In his assessment of the situation, Keresztes
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wrote that the country’s moral crisis calls for a “spiritual renewal” and for the restoration of
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“values proclaimed in the Gospel”. Only one worldview party is destined to carry out this task
and that party counts on the support of Hungary’s Christian society. In an article introducing
the KDNP in the 25 June 1989 issue of the Új Ember [New Man] weekly, Keresztes said that
the party counted on those who were either Christians or were close to Christianity and felt
that “the time has come to take action for their principles in public life, too.” However, the
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approach that intended to tie the KDNP to the Christian worldview too closely had its
opposition within the party. The members of this opposition group believed that it was not
possible to make politics “the old way” in 1989, i.e. with a 1947 mindset. According to a memo
dated 27 October 1989, the country does not need a party that declares principles. Instead, it
needs a party that is actually able to pursue pragmatic policies and considers the international
Christian democratic example “that is in the forefront of progress and which it is a privilege to

belong to” a point of orientation. The authors were of the opinion that the principles of
modern Christian democracy were suitable not only for the faithful but for the non-religious
masses as well. They said this approach should be followed also because of the failed strategy
of relying on the church in building a remarkable movement and then waiting for other
parties’ Christians to move over to the KDNP. Further, the situation assessment in the memo
pointed out that it was a hazardous mistake to artificially detect too many similarities between
1947 and 1989. The initiators of party modernization were of the opinion that the KDNP of
1989 was in a far more difficult situation than its predecessor. First, because the Hungarian
countryside also underwent significant “dechristianization” in the meantime and second,
because Christian democrats had to compete with many more opposition parties in 1989 than
in 1947. The KDNP must be rendered “an image that reflects the spirit of opening [up to
others]... Its public appearance ... must enable opening to more diverse segments of society, to the
centre and to other political and social organizations. The party’s public actions and
representatives must make the impression that this is a modern party that is able to solve the
country’s current problems.” The supporters of modernization were convinced that “This
political approach” (represented by Sándor Keresztes – RMK) degrades the KDNP “to the level
of a ridiculous micro-party.”
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At Opposition Roundtable (Ellenzéki Kerekasztal – EKA) sessions, KDNP delegate
György Szakolczai preferred emphasizing the identity elements associated with a modern
Christian democratic party. When presenting the KDNP, he first and foremost pointed out

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At that point, the party’s name was not changed yet. Cf. letter from György Szakolczai. MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item 41 (Box 32),
Documents on activities in the KDNP.
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The Ten Commandments are the key to our Europism. Discussion with Sándor Keresztes. Hazánkért 1989/1. MNL OL. Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item 41
(Box 32), Documents on activities in the KDNP.
263 László Rónay: Lelki restauráció. [Restoring the Soul] Új Ember, 12 July 1992.
264 Kereszténydemokrácia a magyar politikai életben [Christian Democracy in Hungarian Politics]. Új Ember, 25 June 1989.
265 Review and proposal of tasks and action items. 27 October 1989. The memo was signed by Ferenc Mateovits, chairman of the Baranya County organization;
Kovács József, chairman of the Zala County organization; author’s of the party programme including György Szakolczai, and two representatives of the youth
organization. MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item 41 (box 32), Documents on activities in the KDNP.
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