December 10, Human Rights Day: the Political Program Declaration of FIDESZ

December 10 is Human Rights Day, celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on this day, in 1948. On this occasion, we share another declaration: the 1988 Political Program Declaration of FIDESZ. The political program was attached to the alliance's Founding Declaration, which, officially establishing the organization, described FIDESZ as “a political initiative not against, but in favor of something.“ The Political Program Declaration described what that “something“ actually was, claiming, “The alliance strives to unite young people whose guiding political principles are peacefulness and the respect for human and civil rights.”

The First Congress of FIDESZ. The Black Box Foundation's documentary film Civil technikák. Fidesz (Civilian technics. Fidesz) includes scenes from the congress. (HU OSA 305 Black Box Foundation, Unedited Video Materials.)

This political program was the result of lengthy deliberation. First, an open committee produced a draft during the summer of 1988, which was shared with the full membership, so that the First Congress of FIDESZ in November could finalize the text. The uncut video recording of the congress captured by Black Box Foundation, the draft, and the final declaration are all available at the Archives. Comparing them reveals the participatory process during which the broad membership of FIDESZ evaluated and debated in detail fundamental political, social, or economic principles.

“Dignified life is only possible in a state that respects each inherent human right, and allows us to practice the civil rights European social progress achieved. . . . We reject any social structure that allows the ones in power to deprive us of our freedoms in favor of an ideology or a distant social goal. We do not believe in the existence of a social goal more valuable than guaranteeing a peaceful, free, independent life for citizens. We believe that all spheres of the state must be directed at this idea. . . . It is our conviction, that the struggles our youth face today are not independent of such crucial issues as the lack of legal guarentees to human rights and freedoms, the disciminative voting rights preventing free elections, the conditions of education, or the current methods of budgetary planning; therefore, our difficulties are rooted in the dictatorial nature of the political system.“

(HU OSA 362 Collection of Tibor Philipp, Founding Declaration of FIDESZ.)