by billy pilgrim (not verified) - 27/08/2009 - 19:32
Aren't you the illustrious Szlotta János himself ?
Pitiful, Tiny Entente certainly argued that everything is theirs in Central Europe. Don't think anybody believed you for a second. The sole purpose of Real Entente powers the was to size Hungary down and make you finally shut up. Don't invent moral grounds of holding territories in the case of any nation, as there are never any. That's only in storybooks, legends. Ask the Cherokee what they think of the US, ask the Ruthenians what they think of Ukraine, Slovakia, or Hungary, ask the Kurds, the Inuit, the list is endless.
What do you think "Indo" indicates in Indo-European?
You Slovakians like to refer to Cyril and Method so much. Why do you not use Cyril letters?
Saying the truth is not chauvinism, but your language law, and the way you treat the Hungarian minority in Slovakia is. Not accepting an unfair and unjust treaty is not chauvinism but when you say we are barbarians, and contributed to Europian culture with nothing is chauvinism.
That is why the situation is so bad because think and behave this way.
Do not believe demagogy either! When two nation live together for centuries it is not possible that only one of them receives words from the other.
A few words in Slovak language which has Hungarian origin: naderspan, ispán, varmed'a (in the east), stolica, gazda, oldomás, rovás, bantovat, chotár, chyr, d'engl'avy, bet'ah, sihot, válov, sisak, siator, cizmy, kefa, carovat, járok, varos, birou, esküt, orsacky, gazda, aló, bahas, juhas, kondas, kertis, sabol, biztatovac, birovac, keltovac, kedvesni, fiók, lángos etc...
Search the truth my friend even if it is not very pleasant.
The Hungarians occupied the whole Carpathian basin. Nation there at that time: Bulgarians (they have turkish origin) in the south, Franks scattered everywhere, Avars scattered everywhere, Morvas on the North-West. Check the archeological researches. There is no reference to Slovaks up to the 15th century, and there is no mention or sign of any kind of Slovakian discontent up to the 19th century. Or have your historians made up something already? Even during the revolution and the freedom fight in 1848 most of the Slovaks supported the Hungarians against Austria. Not the separatist of course.
By the way, you know up to the 20th century everybody rode horses.
Slavs along with Celts, Germanic people, Greeks, etc. are Indo-Europeans, i.e. which is main ethnic group indigenous to Europe while all the barbaric asiatic hordes were always deemed undesired, hated intruders since they produced only suffer, pain and problems to local European population. They did not bring any positive contribution to European civilization, only temporarily slowed down its progress or even pushed it back.
As for Slovaks, we live in Slovakia for 1500 years, surviving incursions of Avars, Magyars, Mongols, Turks, etc. and we are still here, retaining our language and culture. It's foolish to expect that we'll suddenly get scared by people who are neither able nor willing to accept reality and obviously do not want to wake up from their sweet chauvinistic dreams.
My dear Slovakian friend! Do not believe lies, and those who try to create history for your people. Check the sources and the facts, evidences!
For example your cultural superiority dissolves intzo thin air when we examine the meaning of the word Slav, which means slave. Hungarians had Slav "servants" even long before they arrived into the carpathians (source: Ibn Ruszta). It is horrible of course, but facts are stubborn things. Slav nations around that time: Czechs (Morvas), Poles, Croats, Serbs. And yes, the Czechs started to call the Hungarian Slavs (Czech Polish, Ruten mix) Slovak in the 15th century. You still understand both Czech and Polish language.
How is it possible that Saint Staphen needed help when half Europe feard our arrows half a century ago, Byzanc paid tax to us to let them alone, and Hungary was the only one kingdom in East Europe which didn't have to offer its realm to the German Emperor.
By the way, when Slovakia separated from Hungary, the number of Slovaks left in Hungary was approximattely same as that of Hungarians left in Slovakia - half a million. Today the population of Hungarians in Slovakia is still half a million whereas the population of Slovaks in Hungary shrank to 20 000. And do not reffer to the census in 1910, it was blatant fraud. The population of ethnic Hungarians "suddenly" increased from about one third to 50% when compared to the previous census. For example, Slovak towns and areas without any ethnic Hungarians were proclaimed Hungarian. Such "Hungarians" existed of course only on paper, not in reality.
Hungary did not loose squared inch of its territory in 1918 because the separated territory never belonged to Hungary, it always belonged to people who lived there and who were predominantly non-Hungarians. All Hungarian population on those territories are product of the enforced Magyarization in 19th and 20th centuries,
most of those so-called Hungarians still have names which were more or less Hungarized, but they are obviously of non-Hungarian origin. To claim something about horrible territorial loss is absolute nonsense, it is as if Czechs
claimed that after division of Czecho-Slovakia in 1992 they lost third of their territory (or Slovaks claimed that they lost two thirds of their territory.) or the British claimed that they lost I don't know how many percent of
territory to Americans in the War of Independence.
So called Hungarian kingdom and Hungary are two different things. "Hungarian" kingdom was founded and
build as multinational state, it was not state of ethnic Hungarians. In fact, it was founded with the substantial help of Germans and Slovaks (Slovak dukes Poznan and Hunt) whom Vajk had to ask for help against rebellious Kopany. Vajk had to do that because he had no chance to win since most of pagan Hungarians supported
Kopany. Thus, ironically, Christian "Hungarian" kingdom was in fact enforced to Hungarians by non-Hungarians.
Moreover, Hungarians were heavily influenced by more developed Slavs also in cultural way. For instance, many
words of basic vocabulary in Magyar language have undisputably Slavic origin while Hungarian words in Slovak or other Slavic languages are very rare.
The territory of Slovakia was settled by slavic tribes in sixth century, i.e. 3 or 4 hundred years before first Hungarians appeared in 10th century. They were not denoted Slovaks but Slovenes (or Sloviens), the name "Slovak" was invented a few centuries later by Czechs. Territories of western Slovakia along with Morava constituted centre of two slavic states: 1. Samo's realm (7th century), 2. Great Moravia (9th century). Old slavonic language spoken in Great Moravia was the fourth language to which Bible was translated (after Hebrew, Greek and Latin) by Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Metodius. At that time Magyars were still
riding horses somewhere on Asian steppes (or God knows where).
minority languages in public services may not be used (according to the new law) only if a state officer (policeman, doctor) speaks to a slovak person, and thats absolutely correct
You are right Anonymus from slovakia, we did the same in the end of the 19th cetury as you do nowadays, we tried to assimilate our minorities, but it was a response for your separative intensions while you were only guests in the Hungarian Kingdom, and you were treated very well before that time otherwise you wouldn't have come to live to Hungary. We were not conquering Slovakian or Romanian or Serbian territories when we arrived into the Carpathian basin because you were not there at that time. You came much later as guests. All your ancient towns and cities and churches were founded and built by Hungarians, and do not forget that the Ottoman Empire were staying for 150 years but eventually they had to go too.
by billy pilgrim (not verified) - 24/08/2009 - 19:30
It's about time that people like anonyme /slovakia stop being hyper-sensitive. The only thing that the average Hungarian has problems digesting about the trianon dictate is that the states around Hungary clearly tried to carve up this country. It wasn't enough to get your ethnically justified lands, you got a lot more, but part of that deal offered to you on a silver tray by the Entente powers, was that you also get a massive Hungarian minority, with which you still cannot deal. What you conveniently also forget, is that on top of getting these further territories with homogenous Hungarian populations, your insatiable appetite raised even further claims and unsuccesful attempts that Czechoslovakia made to get even more of present day Hungary !
So how come Hungarians are still not paranoid about Slovakia ?
All the same, Sólyom's attempted visit was a diplomatic blunder, ill-timed and untactful.
I would plead temporary insanity if I were him and his advisors.
For instance, children at schools were beaten if they didn't speak Hungarian, non-Hungarian schools and magazines were banned, and the variety of other forms of oppression, either direct or more ingenious ones, was applied, leading to the obvious purpose: to wipe out all the non-Hungarian nations in the eastern part of Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Due to such negative historical experience the idea of reviving "Great Hungary" is unacceptable and highly offensive to all the nations surrounding present-day Hungary.
The goal of president Solyom's visit was obviously provocative, i.e. only to say "this is still our territory
and I will visit it whenever I wish". It didn't happened for the first time because such visits are part of his irredentistic policy towards the neighbouring nations. Such attitude is very dangerous because it only nourishes unrealistic dreams of many Hungarians about a ressurrection of so called "Great Hungary", i.e. the state that (fortunately) ceased to exist almost hundred years ago. Fortunately, because it not only denied basic rights to its minorities, it denied even the mere fact of their existence, although they all together constituted majority of its population.
1. Hungary was the first and the ONLY one who officially apologised for the ' 68 soviet invasion at 1989!
2. The plan of the presidential visit was known by the Slovak authorities since 2 months! Till the last week they havent any problem with it.Now slovakians just simply denies this very fact. Sad and ridiculous story....
by a Hungarian from Slovakia (not verified) - 23/08/2009 - 19:45
Concerning the Language Law. I doubt whether there is any other country in Europe, where a citizen can be imposed a fine from 100 up to 5000 EUR for the usage of his own mother tongue... It is another attempt of the government of possible homogenization which is absurd, taking into account the ethnic composition of the population of Slovakia: 86% Slovak, 10% Hungarian, 4 % Roma, Czech, Ruthenian, etc. I would be very interested and really grateful to read here an opinion on this whole situation from other European minorities, for example South Tirol, just to have some comparative basis. Thanks.
The article says that Slovakia had been ruled by Hungary for centuries. Well, the truth is: when the Hungarians came to the Carpathian basin in the 9th century such nation as Slovak didn't even exist. I know it is not a very pleasant fact for the Slovaks, but this is the truth. Hungarians crushed the Slav Morva Empire and the above mentioned king, Saint Stephen formed a Christian Kingdom in the Carpathian basin in 1000. The whole Carpathian basin belonged to the Hungarian Kingdom except Croatia which was an already existing state when Hungary occupied it in the 11th century. Our first king wrote in his code and he says in it that his successors should be friendly with the sons and daughters of the alien nations and let then into the country, treat them well because a one language speaking nation is weak.
by a Hungarian from Slovakia (not verified) - 23/08/2009 - 19:35
Concerning the Language Law. I doubt whether there is any other country in Europe, where a citizen can be imposed a fine from 100 up to 5000 EUR for the usage of his own mother tongue... It is another attempt of the government of possible homogenization which is absurd, taking into account the ethnic composition of the population of Slovakia: 86% Slovak, 10% Hungarian, 4 % Roma, Czech, Ruthenian, etc. I would be very interested and really grateful to read here an opinion on this whole situation from other European minorities, for example South Tirol, just to have some comparative basis. Thanks.
by A Hungarian from Slovakia (not verified) - 23/08/2009 - 19:23
What happened is nonsense and a very shameful event for Slovakia as an EU member. Slovakia should have never come to such an highly unfriendly step towards a neighbouring country not to mention the common European values. The diplomacy note released by Slovakia is absolutely incompatible with the idea of europeanism. Moreover the reasons explaining the need for this note are unfounded and unacceptable (the link between the date of planned visit of the Hungarian president and the anniversary of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact). As a part of the half a million Hungarian minority living in Slovakia I feel deeply disillusioned. This case is just another sad proof of an totally incorrect, anti-European attitude of Slovakia to the Hungarian minority as a whole. I am just wondering how far the present Slovak government can go(?) I honestly hope that this time we will see some consequences on EU level at long last. In other case it could become an unwanted precedent.
. After defeated by the Mongols in the 13th century then by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, when Hungary deffended whole europe, and many Hungarians died, our kings let the Romanians and Northen Slavs, who were still not called Slovakians that time, rather Czechs, and the Serbs come in the country to cultivate its soil. By the 17th century when we could drive the Turks out of the country Hungarians were only 50 % in their own country. I think if Saint Stephen had known that the western powers (Great Britain which ruled several nations that time, France which ruled half Europe a century ago and the USA, I rather say nothing) would take away two third of our country as a gratitude for deffending them (well, not the USA) for centuries and give it to our neighbours after the Great War, he would never have said that we should let the sons and daughters of the alien nations inside the borders.
In 1918 there were 5 million Hungarians in those territories. Today this number is only the half of it due to the chauvinist politics like Slota.
This is also a fact, maybe a bit sad, but no Hungarians will ever consider those territories as the part of another country. Somewhere deep inside we will always think that Transylvania, Slovakia and Northern Serbia is part of Hungary. Nobody dares to say this but this is the truth. Obviously we can't do anything about it, and peace is the most important, but how can we live in peace when such things happen, when politicians set people against each other for a couple thousand votes?
It is time for Europe to stand beside the Hungarians, because we can endure a lot, but patience runs out once and that is good for no one.
Hello! This is all about inciting tension between the 2 countries and HIDE the economic problems. This time I think it was the Slovak part to be blamed.
Just imagine: Mr. Chirac forbiding Angela Merkel to enter into the country because they occupied Paris? Nonsense.
BUT! We should not have problem with each other. One nation is just as bad or good as the other one. There are powers... mostly those who want to gain cheap popularity that incite these tensions and use it for their political gains.
Also, people who have an 'enemy' put in front of them are MUCH MORE EASIER to control.
We in Hungary love Slovak beers and ice hockey and I'm sure they love some Hungarian things too. So don't let other people control you with politics!!
Even among these comments it was possible to see unfortunate sentiment expressed by hungarian people towards the results of the WW I. It would really be a happy day for all of europe when Hungary will realize that its empire is gone and Romania, Serbia and Slovakia are free and sovereign countries. Unfortunately last years development indicates the opposite. Hungarian extreme right is rapidly on rise. Well, we are in crisis so it's nothning uncommon. But when politicians who are supposed to promote reconciliation are becoming authors of provocations, well I guess it does not look bright for us. "Unofficial visits" of president Solyom to encourage autonomist initiatives in neighbouring countries are exactly that kind of actions. Yes it may raise his current popularity but for what price? And if anyone has doubts about real purpose of mr. Solyom's visit it should be noted that Slovakia was not first but third country that has precluded his journeys...
For those who are not familliar with so called language law I'd like to clarify it's content since there is lot of misinformation. It's NOT a ban on usage of hungarian or any other minority language. It only requires that slovak language is ALSO used in any official documents or announcements. It may sound strange but this is a real problem in southern parts of Slovakia. Imagine how would you feel if you could not understand a public announcement in your very own country.
Don't miss that the article was an unmistakably French interpretation, France was the main actor of the peace treaties after WWI, no wonder AFP seems very undestanding for the Slovakian position. Let us imagine how would AFP comment on an imaginary law to be made by Canadian parliament on banning French language from public life in Canada or let us imagine what would have said AFP if President de Gaulle had happaned to be banned from entering Canada when he was about to make his famous speech supporting separatism in Quebec ('Vive la Quebec libre! ') Sólyom on the contrary was about to speak about friendship, co-operation etc.
August 21 is not a national holiday or official memrial day in Slovakia. In 1968 the Warsaw Treaty military operation was not a national issue, it was part of the Brezhnyev doctrine. Its a pity if we do have alrady vivid memories what so-called existing socialism was like.
Regarding the intended visit by the Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom to Slovakia, it was clearly intended as a provocation, and the Slovakian Prime Minister was quite right to refuse entry. Right-wing Hungarian views and actions are often deliberately provocative, such as singing the Hungarian anthem at ski camps in Slovakia, under the noses of the local Slovakians. My son has been a witness to this.
On the way to one of these ski camps where we were guests of the locals, one of our elderly Hungarian ski instructors gave us "history lessons", uncalled for, all the way to the ski resort in the Tatras - long diatribes about how beastly Slovakians were in WWII, while the innocent Hungarians were blameless.
This fantasy-land version of history mitigates any factual accountablilty and understanding of the complexity of war.
How come that every article I read about this issue fail to mention that the 20th of August is the ultimate public holiday in Hungary? On this day Hungarians celebrate king St. Stephen who founded the Hungarian nation. It seems fairly obvious that a Hungarian president plans unveil a statue of St. Stephen around that date. And it is also interesting that Hungary informed Bratislava about Sólyom's visit more than a month ago and Slovakia did not object against it until last week.
Slovakia introduced the EURO and for that my full congratulations.
As for this matter of restrictive language law their current goverment is on a path divert from Europe and more like the middle ages. And for not letting the Hungarian president into slovakian teritory thats really low.
By the way the Hungarian president did invite Slovak dignitaries to this event but he got the answer that the person is on vacation that time. A Slovakian dignitary is on vacation on the great annyversary of his country ?...Nobody else available.
You have wrong and false informations, mein Freund! In Hungary every settelment have local minority goverments. Like in my town Győr (Raab), there are German, Roma, Croatian, Polish and Armenian local minority governments. In Hungary every member of every minority can make the high-school graduation (Abi) on his or her language. You accuse the wrong state! In your neighbour country France, there are no ethnical minoritis and in Greece there aren't too, even so there are no problems in these countries. The Google is your friend! Use it before you write such garbage like this!
Your's faithfully,
Peter
(a Hungarian and an ethnic German on the part of my mother's family)
Comments (34)
the repeated bluntness of anonyme/sk
Aren't you the illustrious Szlotta János himself ?
Pitiful, Tiny Entente certainly argued that everything is theirs in Central Europe. Don't think anybody believed you for a second. The sole purpose of Real Entente powers the was to size Hungary down and make you finally shut up. Don't invent moral grounds of holding territories in the case of any nation, as there are never any. That's only in storybooks, legends. Ask the Cherokee what they think of the US, ask the Ruthenians what they think of Ukraine, Slovakia, or Hungary, ask the Kurds, the Inuit, the list is endless.
History
What do you think "Indo" indicates in Indo-European?
You Slovakians like to refer to Cyril and Method so much. Why do you not use Cyril letters?
Saying the truth is not chauvinism, but your language law, and the way you treat the Hungarian minority in Slovakia is. Not accepting an unfair and unjust treaty is not chauvinism but when you say we are barbarians, and contributed to Europian culture with nothing is chauvinism.
That is why the situation is so bad because think and behave this way.
History
Do not believe demagogy either! When two nation live together for centuries it is not possible that only one of them receives words from the other.
A few words in Slovak language which has Hungarian origin: naderspan, ispán, varmed'a (in the east), stolica, gazda, oldomás, rovás, bantovat, chotár, chyr, d'engl'avy, bet'ah, sihot, válov, sisak, siator, cizmy, kefa, carovat, járok, varos, birou, esküt, orsacky, gazda, aló, bahas, juhas, kondas, kertis, sabol, biztatovac, birovac, keltovac, kedvesni, fiók, lángos etc...
Search the truth my friend even if it is not very pleasant.
History
The Hungarians occupied the whole Carpathian basin. Nation there at that time: Bulgarians (they have turkish origin) in the south, Franks scattered everywhere, Avars scattered everywhere, Morvas on the North-West. Check the archeological researches. There is no reference to Slovaks up to the 15th century, and there is no mention or sign of any kind of Slovakian discontent up to the 19th century. Or have your historians made up something already? Even during the revolution and the freedom fight in 1848 most of the Slovaks supported the Hungarians against Austria. Not the separatist of course.
By the way, you know up to the 20th century everybody rode horses.
Who are the guests?
Slavs along with Celts, Germanic people, Greeks, etc. are Indo-Europeans, i.e. which is main ethnic group indigenous to Europe while all the barbaric asiatic hordes were always deemed undesired, hated intruders since they produced only suffer, pain and problems to local European population. They did not bring any positive contribution to European civilization, only temporarily slowed down its progress or even pushed it back.
As for Slovaks, we live in Slovakia for 1500 years, surviving incursions of Avars, Magyars, Mongols, Turks, etc. and we are still here, retaining our language and culture. It's foolish to expect that we'll suddenly get scared by people who are neither able nor willing to accept reality and obviously do not want to wake up from their sweet chauvinistic dreams.
History
My dear Slovakian friend! Do not believe lies, and those who try to create history for your people. Check the sources and the facts, evidences!
For example your cultural superiority dissolves intzo thin air when we examine the meaning of the word Slav, which means slave. Hungarians had Slav "servants" even long before they arrived into the carpathians (source: Ibn Ruszta). It is horrible of course, but facts are stubborn things. Slav nations around that time: Czechs (Morvas), Poles, Croats, Serbs. And yes, the Czechs started to call the Hungarian Slavs (Czech Polish, Ruten mix) Slovak in the 15th century. You still understand both Czech and Polish language.
How is it possible that Saint Staphen needed help when half Europe feard our arrows half a century ago, Byzanc paid tax to us to let them alone, and Hungary was the only one kingdom in East Europe which didn't have to offer its realm to the German Emperor.
Who assimilated whom?
By the way, when Slovakia separated from Hungary, the number of Slovaks left in Hungary was approximattely same as that of Hungarians left in Slovakia - half a million. Today the population of Hungarians in Slovakia is still half a million whereas the population of Slovaks in Hungary shrank to 20 000. And do not reffer to the census in 1910, it was blatant fraud. The population of ethnic Hungarians "suddenly" increased from about one third to 50% when compared to the previous census. For example, Slovak towns and areas without any ethnic Hungarians were proclaimed Hungarian. Such "Hungarians" existed of course only on paper, not in reality.
the repeated lie
Hungary did not loose squared inch of its territory in 1918 because the separated territory never belonged to Hungary, it always belonged to people who lived there and who were predominantly non-Hungarians. All Hungarian population on those territories are product of the enforced Magyarization in 19th and 20th centuries,
most of those so-called Hungarians still have names which were more or less Hungarized, but they are obviously of non-Hungarian origin. To claim something about horrible territorial loss is absolute nonsense, it is as if Czechs
claimed that after division of Czecho-Slovakia in 1992 they lost third of their territory (or Slovaks claimed that they lost two thirds of their territory.) or the British claimed that they lost I don't know how many percent of
territory to Americans in the War of Independence.
Reaction to Adam
So called Hungarian kingdom and Hungary are two different things. "Hungarian" kingdom was founded and
build as multinational state, it was not state of ethnic Hungarians. In fact, it was founded with the substantial help of Germans and Slovaks (Slovak dukes Poznan and Hunt) whom Vajk had to ask for help against rebellious Kopany. Vajk had to do that because he had no chance to win since most of pagan Hungarians supported
Kopany. Thus, ironically, Christian "Hungarian" kingdom was in fact enforced to Hungarians by non-Hungarians.
Moreover, Hungarians were heavily influenced by more developed Slavs also in cultural way. For instance, many
words of basic vocabulary in Magyar language have undisputably Slavic origin while Hungarian words in Slovak or other Slavic languages are very rare.
Reaction to Adam
The territory of Slovakia was settled by slavic tribes in sixth century, i.e. 3 or 4 hundred years before first Hungarians appeared in 10th century. They were not denoted Slovaks but Slovenes (or Sloviens), the name "Slovak" was invented a few centuries later by Czechs. Territories of western Slovakia along with Morava constituted centre of two slavic states: 1. Samo's realm (7th century), 2. Great Moravia (9th century). Old slavonic language spoken in Great Moravia was the fourth language to which Bible was translated (after Hebrew, Greek and Latin) by Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Metodius. At that time Magyars were still
riding horses somewhere on Asian steppes (or God knows where).
next point is
minority languages in public services may not be used (according to the new law) only if a state officer (policeman, doctor) speaks to a slovak person, and thats absolutely correct
History
You are right Anonymus from slovakia, we did the same in the end of the 19th cetury as you do nowadays, we tried to assimilate our minorities, but it was a response for your separative intensions while you were only guests in the Hungarian Kingdom, and you were treated very well before that time otherwise you wouldn't have come to live to Hungary. We were not conquering Slovakian or Romanian or Serbian territories when we arrived into the Carpathian basin because you were not there at that time. You came much later as guests. All your ancient towns and cities and churches were founded and built by Hungarians, and do not forget that the Ottoman Empire were staying for 150 years but eventually they had to go too.
hungary-slovakia
It's about time that people like anonyme /slovakia stop being hyper-sensitive. The only thing that the average Hungarian has problems digesting about the trianon dictate is that the states around Hungary clearly tried to carve up this country. It wasn't enough to get your ethnically justified lands, you got a lot more, but part of that deal offered to you on a silver tray by the Entente powers, was that you also get a massive Hungarian minority, with which you still cannot deal. What you conveniently also forget, is that on top of getting these further territories with homogenous Hungarian populations, your insatiable appetite raised even further claims and unsuccesful attempts that Czechoslovakia made to get even more of present day Hungary !
So how come Hungarians are still not paranoid about Slovakia ?
All the same, Sólyom's attempted visit was a diplomatic blunder, ill-timed and untactful.
I would plead temporary insanity if I were him and his advisors.
Comment2
For instance, children at schools were beaten if they didn't speak Hungarian, non-Hungarian schools and magazines were banned, and the variety of other forms of oppression, either direct or more ingenious ones, was applied, leading to the obvious purpose: to wipe out all the non-Hungarian nations in the eastern part of Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Due to such negative historical experience the idea of reviving "Great Hungary" is unacceptable and highly offensive to all the nations surrounding present-day Hungary.
Comment1
The goal of president Solyom's visit was obviously provocative, i.e. only to say "this is still our territory
and I will visit it whenever I wish". It didn't happened for the first time because such visits are part of his irredentistic policy towards the neighbouring nations. Such attitude is very dangerous because it only nourishes unrealistic dreams of many Hungarians about a ressurrection of so called "Great Hungary", i.e. the state that (fortunately) ceased to exist almost hundred years ago. Fortunately, because it not only denied basic rights to its minorities, it denied even the mere fact of their existence, although they all together constituted majority of its population.
Solyom's visit
1. Hungary was the first and the ONLY one who officially apologised for the ' 68 soviet invasion at 1989!
2. The plan of the presidential visit was known by the Slovak authorities since 2 months! Till the last week they havent any problem with it.Now slovakians just simply denies this very fact. Sad and ridiculous story....
A reply to the comment about the new Slovak Language Law
Concerning the Language Law. I doubt whether there is any other country in Europe, where a citizen can be imposed a fine from 100 up to 5000 EUR for the usage of his own mother tongue... It is another attempt of the government of possible homogenization which is absurd, taking into account the ethnic composition of the population of Slovakia: 86% Slovak, 10% Hungarian, 4 % Roma, Czech, Ruthenian, etc. I would be very interested and really grateful to read here an opinion on this whole situation from other European minorities, for example South Tirol, just to have some comparative basis. Thanks.
History
The article says that Slovakia had been ruled by Hungary for centuries. Well, the truth is: when the Hungarians came to the Carpathian basin in the 9th century such nation as Slovak didn't even exist. I know it is not a very pleasant fact for the Slovaks, but this is the truth. Hungarians crushed the Slav Morva Empire and the above mentioned king, Saint Stephen formed a Christian Kingdom in the Carpathian basin in 1000. The whole Carpathian basin belonged to the Hungarian Kingdom except Croatia which was an already existing state when Hungary occupied it in the 11th century. Our first king wrote in his code and he says in it that his successors should be friendly with the sons and daughters of the alien nations and let then into the country, treat them well because a one language speaking nation is weak.
A reply to the comment about the new Slovak Language Law
Concerning the Language Law. I doubt whether there is any other country in Europe, where a citizen can be imposed a fine from 100 up to 5000 EUR for the usage of his own mother tongue... It is another attempt of the government of possible homogenization which is absurd, taking into account the ethnic composition of the population of Slovakia: 86% Slovak, 10% Hungarian, 4 % Roma, Czech, Ruthenian, etc. I would be very interested and really grateful to read here an opinion on this whole situation from other European minorities, for example South Tirol, just to have some comparative basis. Thanks.
A total failure of Slovak diplomacy
What happened is nonsense and a very shameful event for Slovakia as an EU member. Slovakia should have never come to such an highly unfriendly step towards a neighbouring country not to mention the common European values. The diplomacy note released by Slovakia is absolutely incompatible with the idea of europeanism. Moreover the reasons explaining the need for this note are unfounded and unacceptable (the link between the date of planned visit of the Hungarian president and the anniversary of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact). As a part of the half a million Hungarian minority living in Slovakia I feel deeply disillusioned. This case is just another sad proof of an totally incorrect, anti-European attitude of Slovakia to the Hungarian minority as a whole. I am just wondering how far the present Slovak government can go(?) I honestly hope that this time we will see some consequences on EU level at long last. In other case it could become an unwanted precedent.
History
. After defeated by the Mongols in the 13th century then by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, when Hungary deffended whole europe, and many Hungarians died, our kings let the Romanians and Northen Slavs, who were still not called Slovakians that time, rather Czechs, and the Serbs come in the country to cultivate its soil. By the 17th century when we could drive the Turks out of the country Hungarians were only 50 % in their own country. I think if Saint Stephen had known that the western powers (Great Britain which ruled several nations that time, France which ruled half Europe a century ago and the USA, I rather say nothing) would take away two third of our country as a gratitude for deffending them (well, not the USA) for centuries and give it to our neighbours after the Great War, he would never have said that we should let the sons and daughters of the alien nations inside the borders.
History
In 1918 there were 5 million Hungarians in those territories. Today this number is only the half of it due to the chauvinist politics like Slota.
This is also a fact, maybe a bit sad, but no Hungarians will ever consider those territories as the part of another country. Somewhere deep inside we will always think that Transylvania, Slovakia and Northern Serbia is part of Hungary. Nobody dares to say this but this is the truth. Obviously we can't do anything about it, and peace is the most important, but how can we live in peace when such things happen, when politicians set people against each other for a couple thousand votes?
It is time for Europe to stand beside the Hungarians, because we can endure a lot, but patience runs out once and that is good for no one.
Peace
Hello! This is all about inciting tension between the 2 countries and HIDE the economic problems. This time I think it was the Slovak part to be blamed.
Just imagine: Mr. Chirac forbiding Angela Merkel to enter into the country because they occupied Paris? Nonsense.
BUT! We should not have problem with each other. One nation is just as bad or good as the other one. There are powers... mostly those who want to gain cheap popularity that incite these tensions and use it for their political gains.
Also, people who have an 'enemy' put in front of them are MUCH MORE EASIER to control.
We in Hungary love Slovak beers and ice hockey and I'm sure they love some Hungarian things too. So don't let other people control you with politics!!
...
Even among these comments it was possible to see unfortunate sentiment expressed by hungarian people towards the results of the WW I. It would really be a happy day for all of europe when Hungary will realize that its empire is gone and Romania, Serbia and Slovakia are free and sovereign countries. Unfortunately last years development indicates the opposite. Hungarian extreme right is rapidly on rise. Well, we are in crisis so it's nothning uncommon. But when politicians who are supposed to promote reconciliation are becoming authors of provocations, well I guess it does not look bright for us. "Unofficial visits" of president Solyom to encourage autonomist initiatives in neighbouring countries are exactly that kind of actions. Yes it may raise his current popularity but for what price? And if anyone has doubts about real purpose of mr. Solyom's visit it should be noted that Slovakia was not first but third country that has precluded his journeys...
Language law and journeys of mr. Solyom
For those who are not familliar with so called language law I'd like to clarify it's content since there is lot of misinformation. It's NOT a ban on usage of hungarian or any other minority language. It only requires that slovak language is ALSO used in any official documents or announcements. It may sound strange but this is a real problem in southern parts of Slovakia. Imagine how would you feel if you could not understand a public announcement in your very own country.
Bratislava vs Budapest
Don't miss that the article was an unmistakably French interpretation, France was the main actor of the peace treaties after WWI, no wonder AFP seems very undestanding for the Slovakian position. Let us imagine how would AFP comment on an imaginary law to be made by Canadian parliament on banning French language from public life in Canada or let us imagine what would have said AFP if President de Gaulle had happaned to be banned from entering Canada when he was about to make his famous speech supporting separatism in Quebec ('Vive la Quebec libre! ') Sólyom on the contrary was about to speak about friendship, co-operation etc.
August 21 is not a national holiday or official memrial day in Slovakia. In 1968 the Warsaw Treaty military operation was not a national issue, it was part of the Brezhnyev doctrine. Its a pity if we do have alrady vivid memories what so-called existing socialism was like.
Solyom entering Slovakia
Regarding the intended visit by the Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom to Slovakia, it was clearly intended as a provocation, and the Slovakian Prime Minister was quite right to refuse entry. Right-wing Hungarian views and actions are often deliberately provocative, such as singing the Hungarian anthem at ski camps in Slovakia, under the noses of the local Slovakians. My son has been a witness to this.
On the way to one of these ski camps where we were guests of the locals, one of our elderly Hungarian ski instructors gave us "history lessons", uncalled for, all the way to the ski resort in the Tatras - long diatribes about how beastly Slovakians were in WWII, while the innocent Hungarians were blameless.
This fantasy-land version of history mitigates any factual accountablilty and understanding of the complexity of war.
Sólyom's visit
How come that every article I read about this issue fail to mention that the 20th of August is the ultimate public holiday in Hungary? On this day Hungarians celebrate king St. Stephen who founded the Hungarian nation. It seems fairly obvious that a Hungarian president plans unveil a statue of St. Stephen around that date. And it is also interesting that Hungary informed Bratislava about Sólyom's visit more than a month ago and Slovakia did not object against it until last week.
Hungarian president not allowed to enter Slovakia
Slovakia introduced the EURO and for that my full congratulations.
As for this matter of restrictive language law their current goverment is on a path divert from Europe and more like the middle ages. And for not letting the Hungarian president into slovakian teritory thats really low.
By the way the Hungarian president did invite Slovak dignitaries to this event but he got the answer that the person is on vacation that time. A Slovakian dignitary is on vacation on the great annyversary of his country ?...Nobody else available.
to a lunatic from Germany
You have wrong and false informations, mein Freund! In Hungary every settelment have local minority goverments. Like in my town Győr (Raab), there are German, Roma, Croatian, Polish and Armenian local minority governments. In Hungary every member of every minority can make the high-school graduation (Abi) on his or her language. You accuse the wrong state! In your neighbour country France, there are no ethnical minoritis and in Greece there aren't too, even so there are no problems in these countries. The Google is your friend! Use it before you write such garbage like this!
Your's faithfully,
Peter
(a Hungarian and an ethnic German on the part of my mother's family)