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Will the Orbán-Fico alliance crumble over Slovakia’s fresh assault on Hungarian rights?
Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister, desperately needs allies in the European Union. Yet Robert Fico, his Slovak counterpart, has just pulled a move that could leave hundreds of thousands of Orbán-loving Hungarians in Slovakia—those proud Felvidék folk—utterly stranded. Picture this: after the Second World War, Czechoslovakia’s leaders branded over a million local Hungarians as collectively guilty. They seized their homes, lands, and forests. And get this—even today, those decrepit decrees mean grandchildren and great-grandchildren are losing their plots, forests included. Even if they can’t speak a word of Hungarian anymore.
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Seizing treasures based on 80-year-old scraps of paper
Local media reports paint a grim picture: lands and woods worth millions of euros snatched from Hungarians and non-Hungarians alike, all because their ancestors were lumped in as ‘guilty’ by post-war Czechoslovakia. These are the infamous Beneš Decrees, stamped with the name of Edvard Beneš, the future president. Over 80 years on, they still poison the legal codes of the now-separated Czech and Slovak states. Taboo topic? Absolutely—in both Prague and Bratislava, you can’t even whisper about scrapping them. Why? Because it would unleash a flood of claims from millions of former Germans and Hungarians demanding back their ancestors’ homes, properties, and treasures. At least, that’s the nightmare haunting Czech and Slovak politicians.
- Hungarian government to fight for annulment of Benes decrees
The real kicker? Slovakia’s State Land Fund thinks it’s fine to bulldoze ahead with housing estates or motorways by yanking land from descendants of those old Hungarian or German owners—without a penny in compensation—relying on dusty 80-year-old documents. Some weeks back, Progressive Slovakia, the biggest opposition party, spotlighted this absurdity in left-bank Komárno. They demanded the government slam the brakes on these seizures.
- Day of Hungarians deported from Czechoslovakia after WW2 marked in Parliament
Six months in jail for questioning rights violations
Experts slam these ongoing land grabs as blatant human rights breaches—not just ethnic issues. But that didn’t stop Fico’s government from twisting it into a rabid nationalist crusade, framing the Beneš Decrees and seizures as a sacred Slovak destiny.
They rammed through a resolution on it recently. Worse, parliament decreed that challenging post-war Slovak settlements could land you six months behind bars. This catch-all law could jail historians, lawyers, politicians—or even everyday Slovak owners hit by the grabs.
Hungary’s government stays oddly meek
You’d expect Hungary’s usually feisty government to roar in such a crisis. After all, their constitution (Article D) mandates protecting Hungarians beyond the borders. As Válasz Online notes, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó summoned Austria’s ambassador over blocked Hungarian football fans. But here? Crickets. He merely said he’d chatted with Slovak counterparts, who insisted it’s not aimed at Hungarians. Oh, and the Bem Quay team is ‘looking into it’.
- Austrian hospitality? Hungarian football fans stopped at border without explanation
Orbán himself has stayed silent. Experts reckon he needs Fico’s backing far more than vice versa—so don’t hold your breath for fireworks. Flashback to 2007: when Slovakia reaffirmed the Beneš Decrees, the Gyurcsány government (branded unpatriotic by Orbán) hauled in the Slovak ambassador.
Leader of Hungarian party in Slovakia fights back
Leader of the local Hungarian alliance, Magyar Szövetség, finds himself in a tight spot. He needs Budapest’s support to survive as a non-parliamentary party. But voters demand he blasts the latest parliamentary outrage.
- Click for more Slovakia-related articles.
László Gubík seems ready to deliver. He’s sparred with Slovak cabinet ministers, branded the decision unacceptable multiple times, and yesterday rallied at an opposition protest—firing a shot across Budapest’s bows too:
“True Slovak-Hungarian friendship isn’t just about cosy state-to-state, EU, or economic ties (better than standard). It means taking Felvidék Hungarians’ legal status seriously. We’re not swallowing the smokescreen that everything’s fine. No—we know exactly what’s missing.”
A path to thaw the freeze?
Central Europe expert István Kollai, in his Válasz Online essay, sketches a way out. Escape Slovakia’s nationalist fog, and mutual gestures could heal it. Hungary could declare it won’t chase decades-old seized lands, homes, or assets for heirs. In return, Bratislava halts today’s confiscations.
Who knows? Maybe the day will dawn when Slovaks can apologise without shame for pre-Trianon and 1938-1944 Hungarian wrongs, and Hungarians for Czech/Slovak-era hurts since 1918-19.
In Europe’s heartland, smouldering national grudges lurk. EU membership, economic booms (where they exist), free movement, and more paper over them—for now. But they leave every state here ripe for meddlers to exploit.
Fidesz silence in the face of Slovak trampling of Hungarian rights is no surprise. Fidesz will give instructions to the Hungarian media on what not to report and how to report anything connected to this. Fidesz only promotes the rights of Hungarians outside of Hungary when it suits them as a form of identity politics to portray themselves as “patriots”. They are not patriots but they are hypocrites of the worst kind. Fico could start jailing them and Orban would not lift a finger as long as they are together on Team Putin.
“Fidesz silence in the face of Slovak trampling of Hungarian rights is no surprise..”
That’s is because they, The Orbán Administration, Dear Larry, know that this has nothing to do with actual modern Slovakian-Hungarian relations, but, rather, is an attempt by CIA-MI6, with other NGOs of The Western Elite, to create more trouble for Hungary.
They, The Western Elite, realize that their regime-change in Hungary is not working out well, and that Magyar is increasingly unlikely to win.
So, some other tactic must be used – like stirring up old problems between neighbours.
Moreover, the growing ‘Confederate-EU’ bloc will be facing every kind of vile mischief, this as Bruxelles feels it’s grip on Europe’s future waning.
Fico and Orbán see through this, even if their Intelligence chiefs had not yet informed them to the fact.
You can be sure, however, that László Kövér is all over this like white on rice.
As soon as someone starts talking about “CIA MI6” conspiracy theories you know they are from the Kremlin. You got in Brussels and Western Elites too. Why did you leave out George Soros? Isn’t he and his Soros Network also involved? Get with it.
I guess that what you are saying, Dear Larry, is that no one in Dixie could have any idea who the main elements behind these tragedies and skullduggery are.
In that sense you have shown yourself to be a real American Yankee – because Yankees often do have a hard time thinking that there might be someone else on the planet earth, particularly in The South, who might actually know something and be able to articulate that.
As to ‘The Soros Network, I did not leave it out.
I use the term ‘Western Elite’, as a polite way to describe him and his kind.
But, in fairness to Svarc György : he, and everyone of his NGOs, could fall off the face of the earth … and there STILL would be a formidable and diabolic Western Elite trying to destroy White Gentile Nations!