Where is the usual anti-EU rhetoric? Hungary’s foreign ministry reacts cautiously to Serbian border guards harassing Hungarian students

As we reported yesterday, several Hungarian students were stopped and turned back at the Serbian border on Saturday while travelling to Novi Sad to attend a commemoration marking the first anniversary of last year’s train disaster. According to Serbian authorities, the Hungarian group represented a “national security threat” to the country, though they did not provide any explanation. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a restrained response, saying that they had not received any formal complaints.

Three-hour ordeal, confiscated items, humiliating searches

Members of the Student Union (Hallgatói Szakszervezet, HASZ) set off for Novi Sad by car and bus to show solidarity with Serbian students at the event commemorating the train tragedy that killed 16 people last year. However, the Hungarian group faced serious obstacles at the border.

Serbian border guards detained several members for hours and confiscated various items such as walkie-talkies, stickers, and badges. “We were given a document stating that we pose a national security threat to the Serbian state,” said Anna Horváth, a member of HASZ.

Students also reported being subjected to humiliating treatment: two Hungarian girls were forced to strip down to their underwear during the border inspection, while officers noted down others’ phone numbers. Out of the 30 students, only 11 were ultimately allowed to enter Serbia — and none of those who had previously visited the country were permitted to cross.

• Outrageous: Serbian border control makes Hungarian students undress and wait for hours

The Hungarian foreign ministry acts only if a complaint is filed

Following the incident, 24.hu and other Hungarian outlets contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ministry spokesman Máté Paczolay responded as follows:

“Neither our consulate in Subotica nor our embassy in Belgrade, nor the Ministry itself has received any complaints from Hungarian citizens. The Serbian authorities have also not reported the matter to us. Should a complaint be filed by either side, we will, of course, take the necessary steps.”

The restrained tone of the response stands in stark contrast to the ministry’s typically strong rhetoric when incidents involve other countries. Only a few days ago, when Austria refused entry to a train carrying Ferencváros football fans, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó immediately summoned the Austrian ambassador, calling the decision “outrageous and scandalous.”

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A quiet commemoration turns into diplomatic tension

The Novi Sad commemoration, organised by Serbian students on the anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 16 lives and sparked a deep social crisis in Serbia, was meant to be a peaceful act of solidarity. However, the Hungarian students’ participation was largely thwarted by the border incident.

While Serbian authorities treated the Hungarian youths as a national security threat, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry — in a rare deviation from its usual practice — has so far shown no willingness to address the matter at a diplomatic level.

This leaves an open question: why did Serbia perceive the peaceful Hungarian students as a threat, and why does the Hungarian government not consider it important to stand up for them?