A 44-year-old former cabinet minister was elected on Thursday as the first female president of Hungary.
Katalin Novak, a former Family Affairs Minister and a strong defender of babies against abortion, was elected with two- thirds majority parliamentary votes by Hungarian lawmakers, Lifenews reported.
Novak highlighted the importance of families and children in her victory speech. She proudly spoke about her own children as one of the most important decisions of her life. She also stressed the importance of her Christian faith in empowering her to do her new role.
"I am ready for this task, I am all prepared. I have to represent all Hungarians. I will remain who I. To do this, I will not take the cross from my neck, but I will press it to my heart," Novak said.
Novak followed through with her statement by stressing her need for God to accomplish her role as president in her Twitter account. Her tweet came with a video clip of her speech.
In her speech, the mother of three also spoke about ensuring independence from Russia and avoiding being influenced by the West while maintaining unity with Europe that they belong to. She stressed that they very well remember the hardships of the Russian occupation and urged peace to return to Ukraine. She pointed out that Hungarians and women prefer peace since it builds and prospers nations whose citizens can simply "smile at each other."
Novak's pro-life and pro-family stance garnered world attention last year through an exclusive interview with The Daily Caller. Novak has condemned the notion of the government decreasing the population on the grounds of saving the environment. Novak called "crazy" those who believe that abstaining from having children is the solution to saving the planet. She raised that it would be senseless to save a planet when there would be a future generation to save it for.
"If you don't have children, for whom do you preserve the planet for? You want to preserve it because you want to give it to your children and grandchildren...you cannot argue with something like that in Hungary," Novak stressed.
In that interview, Novak raised the need to inculcate a pro-family mindset and attitude in every person, especially among teachers so they could accordingly cascade it to their students once it is integrated into the curriculum. This is why teachers were trained with pro-family concepts such that even mathematics can be used to teach family values. She underscored that pro-family attitudes or mindsets must be reflective in every field of one's life and not just in the traditional ones.
The Daily Wire reported that pro-life advocates celebrated Novak's victory and expressed anticipation of her great role in protecting life and the family. Institute for Women President Valerie Huber raised the importance Novak will bring now that she is Hungary's president.
"Katalin Novák has been a significant champion for families and the thriving of all Hungarians," Huber said.
"We look forward to her victory signaling Hungary's continued commitment to the principles of the Geneva Consensus Declaration. As minister, she implemented family-friendly incentives and family protections, but she also stood as a courageous woman in the defense of every Hungarian through thriving families. I am convinced she will do the same as Hungary's first woman president!" She added.
