The Communists (should have) had to face up to the fact that their main supporter was the Soviet army, which had first liberated Hungary, only to then occupy it. This was particularly unpleasant in the context of 1848, since the revolution had been defeated by the troops of Tsarist Russia, which aided the Austrians, and the main demand of the revolution was that there should be no foreign troops in Hungary.

As customary, this year, too, all major party leaders in Hungary delivered remarks. The messages of the various politicians on the lessons for today of Hungary’s revolutionary and heroic past could not have been more diverse.

As part of the 15 March celebrations in Hungary, many venues will offer an abundance of programmes free of charge for their visitors.

This year, 15 March falls on a Wednesday, and programmes have been put together accordingly. On 14 March, the Kossuth and Széchenyi Awards will be presented. On the day of the celebration the next day, the national flag will be raised in the morning as usual.