Hungarian Conservative

Commemorating the canonisation of King Ladislas creates an opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of medieval art in Transylvania, with a particular focus on the narrative cycle depicting the legend of Saint Ladislas, an iconic figure in Hungarian history.

The Treaty of Vienna, ending the Bocskai uprising, known in Hungary as Bocskai’s War of Independence, was signed 417 years ago today, on 23 June 1606. The agreement ensured (at least in principle) the sovereignty of Transylvania against the Habsburgs in the long term and guaranteed the free religious practice of Protestants.

The newly crowned British monarch arrived in Transylvania, Romania, a few days ago. King Charles III is a frequent guest in the Eastern European country, as he is especially attracted to Szeklerland of Eastern Transylvania, mostly inhabited by Hungarians, where he owns several estates.

György Hölvényi underscored the importance of exercising caution with the concept of Schengen and open borders. It represents an economic and political opportunity that can be mishandled, potentially signalling Europe’s disintegration if not properly managed. Ensuring proper protection of external borders is essential to avoid issues emerging with internal borders, he warned.

According to poet and politician József Bajza, the Teleki House was a true bastion of the Hungarian language, which was in danger of erosion at the time. For his political activities, his role in improving public education, and his efforts in advancing Hungarian culture, Sámuel Teleki should be regarded as one of the greatest Hungarian figures in 18th–19th century Transylvania.

‘Historically, wars are coups d’états in the interior of the political process. It’s usually invisible to outsiders and it usually doesn’t respond to outside activity. The war in Ukraine started with people who are non-historians reading the history of Russia, the way a non-historian is looking for something relevant today. So, whenever they think that they have some historical information, it’s always misinformation because it gets taken out of context.’

FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda, supported by ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, finished second in the league behind Slovan Bratislava. The two top finishers’ game late into the championship featured a highly controversial call by the referee, which, owner Oszkár Világi claims, was a way of stealing the title from his team. Meanwhile, Sepsi OSK won the domestic cup in Romania.

The Codex Aureus, the oldest medieval manuscript in Romania, located at the Gyulafehérvár branch of the Romanian National Library in the Batthyáneum Library, has been inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Deputy State Secretary Péter Szilágyi reminded that the government-sponsored Mentor Programme aiming to train and organise ethnic Hungarian entrepreneurs, has been implemented in the Carpathian Basin since 2019, with the additional benefit that a relationship of trust has been established between mentors and mentees everywhere.

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.

Romanian football fans engaged in their habit of chanting slogans degrading Hungary again at both of the European Championship qualifier games. What’s more, they also brought a banner mocking the Greater Hungary map and started a fight among themselves this time.

Originally, the Romanian Football Federation awarded a 3-0 victory for Sepsi OSK after the game played in late January had to be called off due to anti-Hungarian chants from the visiting Craiova fans. However, the decision was overturned on appeal and the match had to be replayed — which Sepsi won by an even bigger margin on the pitch, 4-0…

‘Every investment that started with the support of the Hungarian government will be completed, whether it is the construction of a kindergarten, nursery, school, university, community spaces, or the renovation of a church.’

Keeping the memory of St Ladislaus alive is a common cause. As the organisers of the erection of the equestrian statue of the Holy King said in response to critical comments: ‘The legacy of St Ladislaus is above all the courageous admission of the Christian faith, which is a universal value and part of our European identity.’

The majority of the refugees were intellectuals, mostly from Transylvania, followed by those from what is Slovakia, Serbia and Austria today, but there were also some who fled to Hungary from Bosnia-Herzegovina.