Hungarian Conservative

As has been revealed many times, the goal of both the three-party coalition and the new president is to pursue a sovereigntist policy within the Euro-Atlantic region. Hungary has been doing the same thing for over a decade. For this reason, it is likely that in the near future, the two nations will be able to support each other in exerting their influence in the EU and NATO. Hopefully, the beneficiaries of such international cooperation will also include the ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia.

‘If the Hungarian government’s foreign policy in recent months had truly been to serve Russian interests, then, for example, the NATO secretary general would not have left Budapest with a free hand from Hungary to negotiate and conduct NATO training and support for Ukraine, as well as to undertake a long-term financial commitment required for military support, even if Hungary will not itself participate in these NATO efforts.’

According to press reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán’s proposal for a time-bound ceasefire in Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy praised the start of ‘completely different relations’ between Hungary and Ukraine, which could soon be formalized in a new agreement between the two countries.

‘Hungary is not providing money, weapons or soldiers for this cooperation, but it is not blocking it either’, the defence minister reaffirmed after the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels last week.

After lengthy negotiations, an agreement was reached on the opening of a new border crossing point at the Hungarian–⁠Ukrainian border, bringing the total number of crossing points between the two countries to six. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó described this development as a significant step forward that will enhance people’s lives and foster better relations between the two countries.

‘As I myself experienced as the first director of the Hungarian Cultural Centre (Liszt Institute) in Zagreb, which opened in January 2014, Croats have a positive attitude towards Hungarian culture. The Institute is now ten years old, very active, and there is a huge interest in Hungarian culture.’ Read Mandiner’s in-depth interview on Croatian– Hungarian relations with historian Dénes Sokcsevits.

Ukraine may amend its legislation restricting minority rights, and the new initiative appears to be a praiseworthy improvement. However, the draft regulation concerns only the recognized nations of the EU, intentionally excluding Russians and Russian speakers.

Regardless of the eventual shape of Slovakia’s official foreign policy, the potential dominance of pro-Kremlin figures in the new government should not be overlooked in NATO’s eastern flank. It is a development that warrants the West’s vigilance and concern.

On the surface, the Slovak election seems to be about a single question: will Robert Fico, the country’s former prime minister, be able to return to power? However, even if he does triumph, he will be forced to enter difficult negotiations with multiple potential coalition partners.

Slovakia’s upcoming early elections are attracting a lot of attention internationally, but the Hungarian ethnic parties, unable to surpass the parliamentary threshold since 2020, are again unlikely to enter the Bratislava national assembly. What has led to this situation? Why are Hungarians in the Uplands divided?

Contrary to what one might expect, Ukrainian media outlets have not shown support for the recent provocative appointment of Marija Pauk as head of the II. Rákóczi Ferenc school in Transcarpathia.

‘The Ukrainian Puzzle: Hungary’s Perspective on a Changing Neighbour’ is a book that intends to present the Hungarian perspective on Ukraine to the Ukrainian and international public, arguing that this perspective has not changed ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1991. While it is hard to disagree with the main idea of the book, the methodology employed to convey it leaves something to be desired.

After the recent repeated defiling of the Úzvölgy military cemetery, Hungarians in Romania are now bracing themselves for another provocation in Tusványos.

A brief summary of the most important remarks made by government officials on the second day of the 32nd Tusványos Summer Festival in Transylvania.

Nowadays there are renewed efforts to reinvigorate and preserve the ancient identity of the Csángós. One of the most notable examples is the Council of Europe’s ‘Csango minority culture in Romania’ report, which, beside being a great overview of Csángó culture, also serves as a call to action to save this unique identity.

PM Orbán must have ‘run into’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the meeting, as some Hungarian media put it. However, conspicuously, Viktor Orbán did not post any photos of him and the Ukrainian leader to social media, as opposed to prominently featured pictures with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a Facebook post. In fact, no formal meeting has been held between the two leaders since Zelenskyy entered office. Although Orbán has been invited to Kyiv, the Hungarian government has made it quite clear that the Hungarian PM will not be travelling to Ukraine unless the rights of the Hungarian minority in the country are restored.

Who is Lajos Ódor, Slovakia’s first ethnically Hungarian Prime Minister? Read our in-depth analysis of his background and how he came to power during the political crisis of his country.

The European Peace Facility was posed to transfer €500 million to Ukraine for artillery round purchases, but the aid was blocked by the Hungarian government. The official explanation for the move is that Budapest would like to see the off-budget EU fund focus on more than just Ukraine, but some believe the blacklisting of OTP Bank may be behind it.

Experts fear that the government are making it difficult to claim these parcels on purpose; and that the former land confiscations by Slovak authorities have effects that still linger.

Ahead of the early elections in Slovakia, Hungarian minority parties are negotiating to create an election alliance, in order to maximise the chance of an ethnic Hungarian party being present again in the Bratislava parliament.

From the time of the regime change to the present day, the solid community of Hungarians living in Romania has regularly requested, and is requesting, unfortunately so far without success, the right to autonomy, which should normally be enjoyed by all communities that claim it within the European Union.

Russia’s military presence in Crimea is a major element in Moscow’s efforts to project power in the Black Sea region and beyond, and the annexation of the peninsula has given it a strategically valuable foothold in the area.

Péter Szijjártó expressed hope that members of the European and transatlantic community would adopt the Hungarian stance, adding that currently, on this hemisphere, war rhetoric is much louder and stronger than peace rhetoric.

The Ukrainian President extended an invitation to Viktor Orbán. While the relationship of the two countries is strained, Orbán said that he is open to the idea of visiting Ukraine.

Hungarian President Katalin Novák urged peace talks between Russia and Ukraine during her visit to Rome earlier this week.

In a January article published in the Transcarpathian paper Magyar Szó, Ungvár (Uzhorod) Consul László Kuti spoke about 12 Hungarian soldiers having fallen—the Hungarian Foreign Ministry provides financial aid to the families of all Hungarian victims of the war. However, estimates have put the number closer to 100 recently.

The past will not be annulled by short-sighted and counterproductive acts like the removal of the turul statue. What those acts do, however, is demonstrate to Hungarians that despite all the good will, aid, and political support bestowed on their neighbours, there is not much good to expect from Ukraine when it comes to its ethnic minorities and friendly neighbourly relations.