The Working Group of Hungarian Communities in FUEN held its meeting in Bratislava

On 15-17 May, the Working Group of Hungarian Communities (MKM), operating under the umbrella of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), held its third annual working meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia. At their initiative, a meeting was held on Friday evening with Hungarian organizations from Slovakia, at which representatives from Csemadok, the Forum Institute, Selye János University in Komárno, the Faculty of Central European Studies at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Pro Civis, and the Network of Hungarian College Associations in Slovakia presented their activities. The MKM’s goal is to play an active role in shaping relations between Hungarian organizations and institutions across the border. Following the meeting, Hungary’s Ambassador to Bratislava, Dr. Csaba Balogh, greeted the participants.

The Saturday working session was opened by Loránt Vincze, Member of the European Parliament and Speaker of the working group, who provided an update on the most important national policy developments of recent times, while László Gubík, President of the Hungarian Alliance, welcomed the representatives of the seven member organizations as host at the party’s headquarters in Bratislava. Balázs Tárnok, Vice President of FUEN, presented the work of the presidency of the European umbrella organization for minority protection to date. Representing the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (RMDSZ) was Executive Vice President Anna Horváth; on behalf of the Hungarian Alliance of Slovakia were President László Gubík and Executive Board Member Péter Őry; on behalf of the Hungarian Cultural Association of Subcarpathia, President László Brenzovics; on behalf of the Hungarian Alliance of Vojvodina (VMSZ), Executive Board Member Zsolt Szakállas; on behalf of the Democratic Community of Hungarians in Croatia (HMDK), President Róbert Jankovics and Vice President János Andócsi; from the Hungarian Self-Governing Ethnic Community of Pomurje (MMÖNK), President Dusan Orban; and on behalf of the Hungarian Civic Force (MPE), President József Kulcsár-Terza reported on the situation of their respective communities. The meeting was attended by Réka Brendus, Head of Department at the State Secretariat for National Policy, as well as Domokos Vékás and Áron Léphaft from the Office of the National Assembly.

The MKM adopted a statement in which the participants welcome and note with confidence the new Hungarian government’s commitment to continuity in national policy. They state that they regard the preservation, strengthening, and further development of the national policy achievements of recent decades as a priority, as these achievements constitute an important pillar for the survival and growth of Hungarian communities abroad. In addition, they emphasize the role of forums for Hungarian-Hungarian relations; they highlight and acknowledge with gratitude the consistent financial support provided to FUEN by the governments of Hungary and Germany; and they underscore the role of FUEN and the Minority Intergroup in advocating for interests at the European level, in which they continue to count on the support of the HUNINEU Foundation. At the same time, they recommend involving the youth organizations of member organizations in the activities of the MKM.

In the statement, they deem it unacceptable that the Beneš Decrees, based on the principle of collective guilt, continue to serve as a reference point in 21st-century Europe, and they call on the Slovak government to resolve the situation once and for all.

“We express our deep concern regarding the Russian aggression and war in Ukraine, particularly the attacks against the Hungarian community in Subcarpathia, as well as the hardships of war afflicting the Hungarian community. We assure our fellow Hungarians in Subcarpathia of our full solidarity. We firmly believe that, in order to protect human lives and secure the future of our communities, the most important task is to establish peace as soon as possible,” the statement concludes.