Government: emigration greatest threat to community’s survival

The greatest threat to any community’s survival is its members migrating abroad which was a challenge that Serbia faced in the 1990s but the ethnic Hungarian community in Vojvodina has recovered from it, a foreign ministry official said in Mali Idos (Kishegyes) on Friday.

Levente Magyar told the Vojvodina Free University that the economy must be developed and young people must be guaranteed a future and perspective for growth in order to convince them to stay and succeed in their home country.

Ever since 2010, the Hungarian government has been making efforts to demonstrate that it bears responsibility for all Hungarians. Successful programmes have been launched to support ethnic Hungarians beyond the borders and Serbia’s government has been open to receiving these programmes, he added.

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The government plans to continue developing the system of support once the current war situation and the resulting economic difficulties enable this, he said.

Deputy head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians Bálint Pásztor said that despite the ethnic Hungarian community of Vojvodina not being the largest such community abroad, three initiatives had originated from the area, including dual citizenship, economic development and autonomy. Progress has been made throughout the Carpathian Basin in all three areas but Vojvodina has managed to advance the most, he added.