György Csóti has once again been elected President of the Hungarian Atlantic Council (HAC) by unanimous vote at the organization’s assembly held at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In his remarks following the election, the re-elected president described the Council’s recent activities as successful and promised a consistent continuation of the current work.
The Hungarian Atlantic Council holds leadership elections every three years. During these assemblies, members vote not only on the presidency but also on the vice presidents, the chair and members of the Supervisory Board. Delegates also vote on the board’s report on the previous year, the organization’s finances, the work and event plan for the coming year, and the expected budget.
Reflecting on the previous year, György Csóti emphasized that the prolonged pandemic placed increased responsibility on the leadership, as engagement with members and the broader public had to take place mostly online.
“I believe the HAC has had a successful period. Despite the challenges, we participated in every NATO event, forum, and meeting—mostly online. When the situation allowed, we also organized in-person conferences, which drew significant interest,” Csóti noted. He added that, despite the pandemic, the Council was able to implement its planned activities. In 2021, the Council grew by eight members, bringing the total to 331.
It was also highlighted that the 30-year-old HAC is operating in both a financially and legally sound framework, and a celebratory conference is being planned for September.
The assembly approved the report by Dr. Árpád Kovács, Chair of the Supervisory Board, on the organization’s financial activity. The members also approved the presidency’s report on the HAC’s professional and financial performance in 2021, as well as the 2022 budget and the plan for activities and events.
Delegates also elected the organization’s vice presidents: Félix Debrenti, André Erdős, Anna Felkai, Lajos Fodor, Dr. Ilona Hardy, and Dr. István Szent-Iványi. Dr. Árpád Kovács was re-elected as Chair of the Supervisory Board.
Speech by President György Csóti Following His Re-election
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, May 13, 2022
Dear Assembly,
Dear Atlanticist Friends,
Thank you for the honor and the trust you have once again placed in me by re-electing me to this esteemed position.
I am assuming the role of President of the Hungarian Atlantic Council during an extremely challenging time. The transatlantic community is simultaneously facing intensifying illegal migration, a still-lingering global pandemic, and a brutal war on our doorstep. Of these, I would like to focus briefly on the latter.
This war has its roots going back at least eight years and is the consequence of unrestrained great power ambition. In early 2022, Russia resorted to an unacceptable means in response to its perceived or actual grievances: it launched a war without a formal declaration against its western neighbor, Ukraine.
The transatlantic world is right to demand an immediate end to the bloodshed and the urgent declaration of a ceasefire. All reasonable tools must be employed to achieve this. Subsequently, the parties involved must sit at the negotiating table and, with respect for the right of self-determination of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples and their indigenous national minorities, reach a peaceful settlement.
This is in the interest not only of the Eastern European region but of the entire world.
With the renewed mandate I have received, I intend to ensure that the Hungarian Atlantic Council contributes—within the limits of its civil means—to achieving these goals: peace and justice in our eastern neighborhood.
Once again, thank you for your trust, and thank you for listening.
György Csóti
President of the Hungarian Atlantic Council
