In his welcoming address, Markus Ferber, President of the Hanns Seidel Foundation and leader of the CSU Group, recalled the years in his early career when he worked with Otto von Habsburg in the European Parliament. He paid tribute to his fellow MEP – who was then well into his eighties – for his dedication, discipline and passion for the issues that mattered to him: first and foremost, the fate of Central Europe and specifically Hungary. Gergely Prőhle, Director of our Foundation, recalled the interview in which Otto von Habsburg, when asked about the varied and sometimes dramatic turns of his life, gave this simple answer: “I thank God that I am a Member of the European Parliament.”
For the significant number of MEPs present, this sentence, which also sounded like an encouragement, expresses our namesake’s optimistic outlook on life. This sentiment was echoed by François-Xavier Bellamy, member of the French Republican Party, and György Hölvényi, member of the Christian Democratic People’s Party, who, along with Markus Ferber, are all members of the European People’s Party (EPP). They highlighted the importance of ensuring that the values represented by Otto von Habsburg’s tremendous life experience and dynastic tradition are upheld in the changing world of today’s Europe. The event was attended by Kinga Gál, MEP and Vice-President of Fidesz, Enikő Győri, MEP, and speaker of several of our previous conferences, and Giovanni Malfatti, grandson of János Esterházy, EP staff member.
Photos: Kinga Gál Facebook
