Vucic’s Serbian nationalist party declaration denies historical Hungarian ties to Vojvodina

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has adopted a controversial declaration about Vojvodina (Délvidék), which is set to be officially approved by the Serbian parliament in consultation with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ). This declaration has raised significant concerns due to its historical inaccuracies and political implications.

According to Délhír’s analysis, one of the most glaring issues with the declaration is its complete omission of Hungary’s historical role in the region. This deliberate silence appears to be an attempt to erase Hungary’s long-standing connection to Vojvodina and downplay the area’s Hungarian heritage.

Misleading and false historical claims about Vojvodina

The declaration makes several misleading and false historical claims. It suggests that Serbs were present in Vojvodina from the early Middle Ages, which does not align with historical evidence. In reality, the Hungarian presence in the region dates back much further, with the area being an integral part of the Kingdom of Hungary for over a thousand years.

The document also misrepresents the role of Serbian despots like Lazarević (István Lázárevics) and Branković (György Brankovics), who actually swore allegiance to the Hungarian king and received lands as personal fiefs, not as Serbian national territory. The declaration conveniently ignores the fact that in 1427, the Treaty of Tata explicitly recognised the Hungarian kings’ right to Serbia.

Another contentious point is the portrayal of Jovan Nenad (Iván Cserni), described in the declaration as a Serbian emperor who attempted to revive the ancient Serbian medieval state. Historical records, however, show that Nenad was more likely a Catholic South Slav bandit leader who engaged in looting and violence following the Battle of Mohács in 1527.

Mischaracterisation of the Serbian role in defending Christian Europe

According to Délhír, the declaration also mischaracterises the Serbian role in defending Christian Europe against Ottoman expansion. While Serbs did engage in anti-Ottoman struggles, they also frequently fought alongside the Turks against Christian forces, including Hungarians.

The document glorifies figures like Svetozar Miletić, glossing over his anti-Hungarian activities and racist rhetoric. Miletić, as mayor of Novi Sad, imposed Serbian language exclusivity and persecuted Hungarians and Germans.

Perhaps most controversially, the declaration presents the 1918 annexation of Vojvodina to the Kingdom of Serbia as a legitimate expression of popular will. It fails to mention that this decision was made under the protection of Serbian and French occupation forces, completely excluding the Hungarian and German majority, who constituted 55.34% of the region’s population at the time.

VMSZ is also involved

The involvement of the VMSZ in drafting this declaration has also raised eyebrows. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that VMSZ representatives were given full input into the document’s final form. However, the VMSZ’s apparent lack of objection to the declaration’s content has been met with criticism, given its historical revisionism and disregard for the Hungarian community’s historical role and interests.

This declaration appears to be part of a larger effort to reinforce a Serbian nationalist narrative in Vojvodina, while simultaneously downplaying the region’s multicultural history and the significant role played by its Hungarian population over the centuries.

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