Hungary's Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said at an awarding ceremony on the August 20 national holiday that Hungarians need security and a feeling of belonging since the country is in an "emotional crisis".

Presenting awards for outstanding achievements to promote ethnic Hungarian communities abroad, Bajnai said that "community and identity-shaping forces, and a strong feeling of belonging" were important at a time of a crisis.

"On the double anniversary of the first state-founding in the year 1000 and the fall of Communism in 1989, Hungary is fighting for relief in the midst of a global crisis while at the same time being in an emotional crisis," Bajnai said.

He added that insecurity triggered by such crises easily bred "simple but boneheaded, sometimes even fatal answers," referring to attacks on Hungary's Roma community, which included a recent murder. "Our job is to stand in the way of attacks on minority groups," Bajnai said.