Kovács K. became a representative of the Demokrata Néppárt in the national assembly winning the confidence of the people at an age of only 23 in 1947. The ever more threatening red dictatorship kept him under close surveillance and when his life was directly endangered in 1949, he left his homeland. First he became István Barankovics’ secretary in Salzburg and then from 1951 served the cause of Hungarian democracy and Hungarian agrarian society as an associate of Radio Free Europe in Munich for many decades.
In the aftermath of the political changes, Zoltán Kovács K. returned to Hungary and worked for the success of KDNP, to strengthen Hungarian democracy and to explore the authentic history of the party by creating the Barankovics Foundation with a force amazing even the younger generations. It was characteristic for his humbleness that he wanted to stay in the background saying those should enter the front line that had spent their life in Hungary and understood the domestic relations better. He authored a multitude of articles, books and speeches and also published the writings and speeches of István Barankovics whereby he gave a reliable and indispensable source into the hands of historians.
The Activity of the István Barankovics Foundation The activity of the István Barankovics Foundation can be divided into three groups consisting of several sub-chapters. The first one can be easily described, including the organisation and support of conferences. At these conferences the Foundation strives for seating the experts of a particular area at the same table to understand and discuss each other’s view points and in addition it intends to provide authentic knowledge helping with the orientation of past and present issues to a wider audience.
The Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt (Christian Democratic People’s Party) and the Barankovics Foundation organised an open parliamentary day entitled ‘Straight Talk to Eliminate Disadvantages’ with five hundred participants in the Upper House chamber of the parliament building. The objective of the Foundation is to launch a frank social dialogue to close the gap for the excluded social strata and especially the Roma. On the sixtieth anniversary of the so-called ‘blue-ticket’ elections, last year a workshop jointly held with the Kremlinology Institute of Károli Gáspár Reformed University and Emlékpont (Point of Remembrance) Human Educational Centre entitled ‘1947 – Hungary and the World” took an account of the political fraud and its consequences determining the fate of the country for many decades.
The Foundation in cooperation with the Hungarian Christian Democratic Union tried to present the decade-long process of the attrition of the nation and its future impacts in a conference ‘Managing the Demographic Crisis’. At the meeting it was discussed if it was possible and how to reverse the unfavourable trends. The István Barankovics István Foundation and the Iustitia et Pax (Justice and Peace) Committee of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops – Conference held a conference – The Significance of Free Sunday – on the first anniversary of the movement for Free Sunday launched by KDNP.
The event “Land Law and Rural Development” jointly organised by the Association of Christian Intellectuals will be held in a few days. Another large section of the activity of the Barankovics Foundation includes sponsoring publications and literary and other works of art. Last year the Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt launched a national literature competition in collaboration with the István Barankovics Foundation to encourage applicants to prepare works of fiction (short story, novel, play) elaborating on the events taking place directly preceding the political changes and in the period since then. 120 submissions entered the competition, which was followed by close interest, and the winning works were awarded prizes. Thanks to the offering of the Barankovics Foundation they will be published this year on the domestic book market.
This year the professional and amateur photographers will have the opportunity to enter a similar competition entitled ‘The Lands, Houses and Peoples of the Carpathian Basin’. The István Barankovics Foundation let an application for a literature grant to undertake the sponsorship of high culture ‘to the best of its abilities.’ In 2007, the István Barankovics Foundation renewed the periodical edited and published by its name giver between 1945 and 1947, entitled Hazánk. Readers of the magazine can follow the relevant events of KDNP, the speeches of Christian Democratic politicians, and learn the action plan and bills of the party month by month.
Porta a periodical circulated in Budapest and supported by the Foundation presents the timely events in KDNP, similar to Hazánk, and in addition to publishing writings of Christian spirituality and themes, it gives voice to public figures openly acknowledging their Christian commitments. The programme Előtér on ECHO television also supported by the Barankovics Foundation features a regular periodical. The presenters of the programme visit various locations, never heard of small communities and share the experiences there with the audience. Following the screening of these documentaries giving voice to the residents, a studio discussion is conducted about the film by experts and politicians. This line of publications is completed by books; each of the works sponsored by the Foundation is intended to make up for a shortage, and the books, which are not available in bookstores or libraries, feature the history of the party, its outstanding personalities and writings by Christian thinkers.
Perhaps the most exciting activity in the István Barankovics Foundation is carried out in a workshop involving outstanding experts to prepare complete draft legislations with impact studies and background calculations. Before the Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt submits these bills to parliament, professional conciliation is carried out at conferences and they are published in books in the series ‘There is a Solution’ making them available to the professional public opinion and the wider public, which is quite unique in Hungarian public life. A number of books about family taxation, the comprehensive reform of the pension system, the Land Law, re-drawing the borders of election constituencies have been completed to date, and the bill on health care will soon be published as well. Finally, at the beginning of this year an Israelite political workshop was established within the István Barankovics Foundation. This chapter is not a religious organisation as it does not address either theological or 18 church policy issues but operates as a workshop based on a set of values and social philosophy. Accidentally this list of the initiatives and achievements in the twoyear short history of the István Barankovics Foundation could go on.
As regards the future, it has plans in store including the elaboration of further legislative proposals, and letting a competition for other branches of art in 2009. The active participants are sincerely confident that they can contribute to the formation of a society healthier in its morality than at present, and a more liveable and just world.
