Latest news with #anti-Hungarian
Budapest Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Ukraine's ambassador to Hungary summoned to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade again
Ukraine's ambassador to Hungary has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade again, this time over the issue of the church in Palagy Komarivci (Palágykomoróc). Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said on Thursday that Hungary was sending aid for the reconstruction of the church even today. Minister Szijjártó told a press conference after a meeting of the Hungarian-Uzbek mixed committee that the church of the village had been set on fire and anti-Hungarian slogans had been sprayed on its walls. 'Such attacks against a national community in a country supposedly aspiring for European Union membership are outrageous, astounding and disappointing,' Minister Szijjártó said. He insisted that anti-Hungarian attacks had started a decade ago 'in the form of laws systemically curbing the community's rights to the use of their mother tongue.' 'The Ukrainian state is responsible for that. We have been asking them to stop for ten years… We have indicated at all possible forums that Hungarians in Transcarpathia are suffering grave attacks. It started with laws and went on to forced conscription, assault and arson on churches,' he said. Minister Szijjártó also condemned European political leaders who 'turned away and refused to acknowledge that the Hungarian community is suffering harsh attacks combined with physical intimidation in Ukraine, a country which they are trying to fast-track into the EU.' He said he had given instructions to have the funding for the church's reconstruction transferred to the diocese on Thursday.
Budapest Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
FM: Zelensky has a vested interest in having a ‘puppet government' in Hungary
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said a recent interview given by Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky has shown that he has a vested interest in having a 'puppet government' in Hungary that would send 'Hungarians' money to Ukraine', adding that the interview was 'part of a harsh anti-Hungarian propaganda'. Responding to questions at a press conference held together with his Croatian counterpart on an unrelated matter, Minister Szijjártó said Hungary had been facing similar propaganda from Kyiv for years. A 'puppet government sending Hungarians' money, weapons, and Hungarian soldiers to Ukraine' would be in Ukraine's interest, Minister Szijjártó said. 'The Hungarian people will have an opportunity to decide on that in 2026. The stakes of those elections will be whether there will be a pro-war, pro-Ukraine puppet government or a pro-peace national government that will ensure that Hungary stays out of the war,' he said. 'We understand that it is in President Zelensky's interests that we are not in government, but that will be up to the Hungarian people.' Szijjarto also expressed his condolences to those involved in the 'shocking' shooting incident in Graz earlier on Tuesday. 'We are, naturally, sending our prayers to the families of those killed or injured,' he said. The government knows of no Hungarian victim, he added. 'We have an honorary consul in place, and I would like to ask … Hungarians to contact our consul or the embassy immediately if they were impacted, even indirectly; we will help,' he said.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ethnic Hungarian, Moldovan voters saved Romania's democracy
Romanian President elect Nicusor Dan receives a copy of the Constitutional Court's decision from court President Marian Enache (AP) Last week, just before midnight on Sunday, an important piece of news spread quickly around the world: The hard-right candidate George Simion has been defeated, democracy in Romania is safe, and the liberal, pro-European mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, will be the next president of Romania. Another-important piece of news followed, which came as a surprise to many Romanian observers but was not as widely reported internationally: Romania's ethnic Hungarians and Moldovan citizens who also hold Romanian passports voted in record numbers for Nicusor Dan, making a decisive contribution to his victory. Conservative estimates say that over 500,000 — perhaps even over 700,000 — of these voters voted for Dan, which would account for a large proportion of his 830,000-vote lead over his opponent. In short, without the votes of these two groups, Dan could have lost the election. Why do the Hungarian and Moldovan votes matter? Ethnic Hungarians in Romania? Moldovans with dual citizenship? For those who do not know Romania well, this might sound like a niche issue to be discussed by election buffs. This probably explains why it received little international attention on the evening of the election. The fact is, however, that both groups play an important role not only in domestic politics in Romania, but also, by extension, in Europe. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Amritsar to Indonesia Batik Airlines Book Now Undo Hungarian PM backed anti-Hungarian candidate Hungarians have been a national minority in Romania since the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, when Transylvania and other regions became part of Romania. There are currently around one million ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which accounts for about 5.5% of the total population. Most of these ethnic Hungarian Romanians support Viktor Orban, the autocratic prime minister of neighboring Hungary. Just a week before the second round of Romania's presidential election, Orban gave his backing to hard-right candidate George Simion, even though Simion has an explicitly anti-Hungarian stance and was in the news several years ago for violent actions that targeted the Hungarian minority. Orban likes to portray himself as the protector of all ethnic Hungarians outside Hungary. Nevertheless, from his perspective, backing Simion in Romania's presidential election was logical and of a higher priority because a Simion victory would have strengthened the "sovereignist" camp — in other words, the autocratic, pro-Russian, anti-EU camp — in Europe. For Romania's ethnic Hungarians, however, following Orban's lead and backing Simion was not an option. It would have meant voting for a politician with deep-seated anti-minority attitudes and, ultimately, against themselves. So, they didn't. Outstanding result for Nicusor Dan This became clear on Sunday evening, when Romania's central electoral commission, the BEC, published the figures for each district (judet). Nicusor Dan received about 53.6% of the total vote, about 830,000 votes more than George Simion. The vote for Dan in all districts with a larger ethnic Hungarian population was massive. Although there are no exact statistics on ethnic voting patterns, experts like the Transylvanian Hungarian sociologist Nandor Magyari estimate that Dan got between 550,000 and 600,000 votes from Romania's Hungarian minority. "In this way, Romanian Hungarians voted for the preservation of liberal democracy and the continuation of Romania's Euro-Atlantic path," Magyari told DW. Some fascinating records were broken in Sunday's election: In the Romanian district of Harghita, where 85% of residents are ethnic Hungarian, an incredible 91% voted for Nicusor Dan, his best result in any Romanian district. Idea of reunification not popular in Moldova Many Moldovans hold dual Moldovan–Romanian citizenship and are entitled to vote in elections in Romania. These voters also voted for Dan in record numbers. The president-elect received about 135,000 votes in Moldova — some 88% of all votes cast there. Most of what is now the Republic of Moldova and the Romanian region known as Moldavia were once both part of the Principality of Moldavia. Three-quarters of the people in the Republic of Moldova are Romanian-speakers, and the country is occasionally referred to as the "second Romanian state." Of the country's 2.45 million inhabitants, 640,000 hold dual Moldovan–Romanian citizenship. Many of this group live in western European countries and it is likely that they voted in large numbers for Nicusor Dan there, too. The reason for this is that Dan's opponent, George Simion, is in favor of the reunification of Moldova and Romania and the creation of a "Greater Romania" — an idea that is not very popular in Moldova. Simion has been barred from entering Moldova since 2014. What's more, Simion adopts a paternalistic tone towards Moldovans, which does not go down well with most of them. Orban and Romania's Hungarian minority The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), the party of Romania's Hungarian minority, has been part of almost every ruling coalition in Romania since 1996 and played a decisive role in fostering reconciliation between the two historical archenemies, Romania and Hungary. Orban has, however, in recent years instrumentalized ethnic Hungarians abroad — especially those in Romania — to his own ends. Over 90% of those with dual Romanian–Hungarian citizenship voted for him and his Fidesz party in recent elections. Indeed, up until last week, the UDMR had almost degenerated into a branch of Orban's party. Then came a major change: The UDMR and its chairman, Hunor Kelemen, and the leadership of the Hungarian Churches in Romania all unequivocally opposed Orban's recommendation to vote for Simion. "Orban made a mistake," Transylvanian-Hungarian lawyer and former UDMR politician Peter Eckstein-Kovacs told DW. "He believed that the Hungarians of Transylvania would swallow anything — even his international political nonsense — but he was wrong." Nevertheless, Eckstein-Kovacs does not see a rupture between the UDMR and Fidesz. "It is a crack in the relationship, not a rupture." Sociologist Nandor Magyari also believes that "overall, Hungarians in Romania will continue to be big supporters of Orban." Romania–Moldova ties The Republic of Moldova is, after Ukraine, the country most affected by Russian aggression. The Moldovan region of Transnistria is governed by a separatist, pro-Moscow regime. In addition, Russia has for decades been using energy supplies as a means of exerting pressure on Moldova. In the interests of its own security and for other reasons, Romania has long been helping neighboring Moldova to loosen its economic ties with Russia and to counter Russian influence there. Sometimes, however, the support is sluggish. Unlike his predecessor Klaus Iohannis, President-elect Nicusor Dan is interested in the Republic of Moldova and its welfare. In his victory speech in the early hours of Monday, Dan expressly thanked those in Moldova who had voted for him. Although he forgot to mention the ethnic Hungarians at the time, he did so in a television interview and a telephone call with the UDMR leader the next day.
Euronews
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar walks across Romanian border
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar walked with a small group of supporters across the border to Romania and was met by supporters in the Romanian city of Oradea on Saturday morning. The president of the Tisza Party left Budapest 10 days ago, and departed on his journey in an effort to win support from Hungarian communities in Romania and appeal to voters who traditionally vote conservative, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán provides financial support to ethnic Hungarians in Romania. "We are not going (to Romania) to escalate tensions or to cause any harm to our Hungarian brothers and sisters living there. We are going there to express our solidarity," Magyar had said before his departure. He had announced the march, called the "one million steps for peace and national unity" initiative, in the wake of Orbán's communion with far-right, anti-Hungarian presidential candidate George Simion ahead of the Romanian presidential elections. "It has become clear that the corrupt, tired and discredited Prime Minister sees Hungarians abroad as a political product. He tried and is trying to lure you to him not out of faith, not out of commitment, not out of love for his countrymen, but merely to win votes," Magyar said in a speech to hundreds of people in Oradea. "And now, in order to retain power, he is trembling, using increasingly crude means, crossing all boundaries, doing whatever he can, regardless of the damage he is doing to the nation," he added. The opposition leader recognised Hungarians "long for a country that loves each of its citizens, a country that does not stigmatise, that does not push into exclusion." He warned that division, incitement and hatred lead to destruction. "Orbán's destruction, hate-mongering and trench-digging are a thing of the past. The final countdown has begun," Magyar concluded. The politician told Euronews that he had experienced positive feedback from supporters, but he was also met by counter-protesters who chanted Orbán's name, and shouted "Traitor!" and "Go home". Magyar ended his speech by addressing the Romanian people. He applauded them for the outcome of their election, and encouraged them to stay on the European path. The politician emphasised the importance of mutual respect between Romanians and the Hungarian community. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has deployed all of its standing army infantry and armoured brigades to Gaza, local media reported on Saturday. It comes as Israel intensifies its major offensive in the strip. Earlier, the military said it struck more than 100 targets in a timespan of 24 hours, claiming they were targeting infrastructure used by Hamas. Gaza's Health Ministry said the bodies of 79 people killed in Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals. This toll that does not include hospitals in the battered north, which remain inaccessible as they are encircled by Israeli troops preventing anyone from leaving or entering the facilities. Nine out of a doctor's 10 children were among those killed on Friday, the Health Ministry confirmed. Alaa Najjar, who is a pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was on duty when an Israeli airstrike hit her home. She had ran home to find her family's house on fire. Najjar's husband was severely wounded and their only surviving child, an 11-year-old son, was in critical condition. The nine children killed in the strike ranged in age from 7 months to 12 years old. Two of the children remained under the rubble. Local health authorities said 3,747 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel intensified its offensive on 18 March in an effort to pressure Hamas to disarm and release all of the 58 remaining Israeli hostages. Hamas said it will only return the remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected those terms and has vowed to maintain control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its Palestinian population. Israel's pressure on Hamas has included a blockade of Gaza and its more than 2 million residents since early March, raising widespread concerns about the critical risk of famine. This week, the first aid trucks entered the territory. Since easing the aid blockade on Monday, Israel has said that 388 aid trucks have entered Gaza. However, Palestinian aid groups dispute this, stating that only 119 trucks have made it through the Karem Shalom crossing. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that the total death toll, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, now stands at 53,901 since 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel killing 1,200 people.
Budapest Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
FM: Remarks by Ukrainian agent expelled from Hungary are unacceptable
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said in Budapest on Wednesday that the remarks of Roland Tseber, 'the Ukrainian agent expelled from Hungary', where he called the ruling Fidesz party 'cornered rats', are 'unacceptable'. Responding to questions at a press conference after the meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Budapest, Minister Szijjártó said the activity of Ukrainian spies and secret services had picked up lately, 'even as Kyiv's anti-Hungarian propaganda is becoming increasingly aggressive.' 'We are responding with the tools at our disposal … we shall protect Hungary's sovereignty and honour,' he said. 'The atrocious post on social media, by a man whom the leader of the Tisza party has called his brother, fits into the line of that string of espionage and secret service activity,' Minister Szijjártó said. 'It's a threat and will have to be taken seriously. I think it is a shame that the Hungarian member of the European People's Party, the Tisza party and its leader are cooperating with a man like that.' Commenting on Hungary's transparency law, Minister Szijjártó said the European Parliament 'should rather be concerned with attempts of grievous external influence into the domestic affairs of Hungary, an EU member state.' 'We are not going to suffer assaults on our sovereignty from foreign-financed people conducting foreign-financed activities, trying to influence Hungarian voters' will and Hungarians' opinion, or — heaven forbid — the result of the elections.' Minister Szijjártó insisted that a similar foreign influence had been detected during the 2022 elections, 'and those behind it then have obviously started working again. They clearly want to discredit Hungarians' opinion on Ukraine's EU membership, and influence Hungarian voters' will at the next elections,' he said. 'We would like to put everyone's mind at ease. We will protect our sovereignty, put the transparency act through, and prevent attempts by foreign-funded agents, organisations and people to influence Hungarians' opinions…' he said.
