Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at an event marking the fall of the Iron Curtain in Hungary in Budapest on 27 June 2009

Twenty years ago, Hungarians were the first to cut the Iron Curtain, which had divided European countries and peoples for decades. Hungary’s bold decisions in 1989 accelerated the political change of Europe. The peoples of all countries in Europe gave their support to the building of a new foundation for cooperation.

For Finland, the birth of a new Europe meant reaching the goal, for which we had been working through the Security and Cooperation in Europe process since the 1970´s. Democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law were recognised as common values. They became the foundation for the development of societies and for broader European cooperation. Hungary also set an example by joining the Council of Europe, an organisation that promotes these common values, already in 1990.

Now, twenty years later, we should pause to consider what Europe has evolved into and think how we should develop our work in the future.

We can be pleased that there is more cooperation in Europe today than ever during its history. The lively interaction between countries and peoples is unparalleled. We discuss common problems openly and seek common solutions to them. The European Union has become a global actor, which many nations have joined – including Finland and Hungary – and which is in a cooperative relationship with many other countries.

However, the picture of the present situation in Europe is not completely rosy. The deepening economic crisis has brought with it uncertainty about the future, while growing unemployment is causing human suffering and social instability. Especially now we must now stick to our values. We must resolutely rebuff the sowing of discord between neighbouring countries and reject any attempts to discriminate against our own minorities. Cooperation, tolerance and mutual respect are vital ingredients for Europe, now and in the future.

Europe has to bear her responsibility also for global challenges. We must, in cooperation with others, develop the safety and transparency of the international financial architecture, so that in the future we can avoid crises like the present one. We must show solidarity towards the needs of developing countries and stick to our commitments.

We must participate in crisis management and the prevention of conflicts globally. We have to set an example in the fight against climate change and convince others of the importance of this work, which has a crucial impact on the future of us all.

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I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to our Hungarian hosts for organising this event to mark the fall of the Iron Curtain. I believe that we, the inhabitants of a new Europe, can appreciate the decisions made twenty years ago. We will not any more face off against each other but will always work together instead.