Considerable financial support for Hungarians living in Ukraine, says Speaker Kövér

The biggest challenge for Hungary in respect of the war in Ukraine is to help the Hungarian community in the Transcarpathian region survive and retain and protect the community’s institutions, László Kövér, the speaker of parliament, said in an interview published by online business magazine Az üzlet on Friday.

Speaker Kövér: government continues to provide subsidies

In terms of Hungary’s policy towards ethnic Hungarian communities, “the greatest change has been the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine… The Transcarpathian Hungarian community is fighting for its survival, and the mother country must help them,” Kövér said.

Thanks to the Hungarian government’s subsidies and effective organisation in Transcarpathia, Hungarian institutions have not collapsed, Kövér said, adding that “deputies of the Hungarian parties continue to carry out their jobs in municipal governments despite difficult circumstances.” Church and civil organisations are also active, while Transcarpathian schools have reopened “after the initial shock”, Kövér said, noting that the third academic year had started amid war circumstances.

The government is continuing to provide subsidies for church-run schools, educational and cultural organisations, as well as the II Rákóczi Ferenc college in Transcarpathia.

In 2024 more than 7,500 low-earners received a one-off payment, and over 4,000 children in kindergartens and primary schools have been given daily meals, he said.

Kövér said Hungary’s policy was aimed at reaching out “to as many Hungarians as possible”. The survival of Hungarian communities hinges mostly upon their retaining their national identity, therefore the policy aims to ensure that young people have access to Hungarian culture and they can cultivate their traditions, Kövér said.

Kövér hopes the Hungarian community in Slovakia will also show unity

The speaker highlighted the government’s Határtalanul (Without borders) Programme, through which over 500,000 Hungarian students can visit communities outside Hungary and the Rákóczi Association‘s camping programme offering holidays to an annual 15,000 Hungarian students from the Carpathian basin and the diaspora.

Speaking about the foreign ministry’s economic promotion programme designed to finance developments by ethnic Hungarian entrepreneurs, Kövér said the scheme promoted regional business cooperation under which “being a Hungarian businessman in another country is now an advantage rather than a drawback.”