Hungary on Thursday marked its National Day with traditional ceremonies, music concerts, and a redesigned evening spectacle in Budapest.
The event shows the country’s new government marking its first celebration with significantly reduced spending.
The holiday commemorated the foundation of the Hungarian state over 1,000 years ago and its first king, Saint Stephen 1.
It began with the raising of the national flag and the swearing-in of new military officers in front of parliament.
The event was also the first official appearance for the newly inaugurated President Andras Baka.
While a military air parade over the Danube highlighted the morning events, festivities would continue throughout the day with family activities across Budapest.
Evening events will feature the traditional Holy Right procession at Saint Stephen’s Basilica and a 30-minute multimedia show along the Danube combining laser projections, a 2,000-drone performance, and a 10-minute fireworks display.
The celebrations will cost approximately 4 billion forints (about 12.8 million U.S. dollars), down sharply from the original 18 billion forints budget.
Government spokesperson, Eva Magyar, noted that the figure reflected realistic costs.
Severe nationwide drought conditions have affected cooling-water levels for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant along the Danube, where emergency engineering works are currently underway.
The national holiday also closely follows the first 100 days of Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s administration after the April election.
In a video address, Magyar said that over 100 commitments, including state spending cuts and anti-corruption measures have been fulfilled to set the nation on a new course.
