Fidesz MEP: Expulsion of ethnic minorities ‘never again’

Expulsions based on ethnicity, as took place from Czechoslovakia after the second world war, “should never be allowed to happen again”, Zsolt Németh, head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said on Thursday in Budapest, marking the memorial day of Hungarians expelled from southern Slovakia.

In post-war Czechoslovakia, over a million ethnic Germans and over 100,000 Hungarians were forcibly removed from the country, losing their citizenship and possessions.

“Today’s challenge is to solve conflicts and prevent tensions that may give rise to such tendencies,” Németh said.

“The fight against the principle of collective guilt should continue … The right to use the minority language must be ensured,” he added, praising the Minority SafePack initiative to protect ethnic minorities in Europe.

Reconciliation between two nations is possible, Németh said, citing Serbia and Hungary as an example. Slovakia and Hungary should find ways to ensure the best possible relations, he said.

featured image: MTI

Source: MTI