On 8 November, Brussels hosted the international conference titled: “National constitutional heritage and European integration”, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the adoption of the “Aranybulla,” the Hungarian Magna Charta Libertatum. The event was co organized by Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Brussels Office for a Civic Hungary Foundation, and the European Public Law Organization.
Rector Prof. Dr. László Trócsányi shared the following thoughts: “The future of Europe and the European Union can only be thought of in the light of its civilisational heritage, within which the importance of constitutional foundations must be emphasised.”
The aim of the conference was to explore the importance of constitutional traditions in European integration, the role of national constitutions in European cooperation and the development of European values. In his statement Rector Prof. Dr. László Trócsányi underlined that the recent series of conferences on the future of Europe, which lasted for almost a year, did not address Europe's civilisational heritage, which would have been particularly important given the EU's ideas for amending the EU treaties. He added that every European country has a historical document of similar importance, such as the “Aranybulla” of 1222, which is an integral part of the Hungarian Constitution. "The European Union is made up of member states, its legitimacy comes from the member states, so it is important to point out the role of national constitutions and the civilisational heritage they contain." – highlighted the Rector. In his opinion, the significance of the “Aranybulla” lies in the fact that it clarified fundamental rights, stressed the importance of the courts, and made it possible to "take action against tyrannical rule". It expressed the essence of Hungarian statehood, and it formulated important messages for Hungarians. These messages are still relevant today. Europe is built of many nations, all of which have constitutions that contain fundamental values. These cannot be ignored – emphasized Rector Prof. Dr. László Trócsányi.
