Hungarian interests

Katalin Novák was chided for feeling obliged to represent Hungarians in Transylvania.

Novák Katalin Gyulafehérváron Fotó: Bruzák Noémi

What should us Hungarians and Romanians do with each other? That was a question Ady Endre’s friend, Octavian Goga did not know the answer to (just as Ady); neither did Miklós Bánffy who spoke with the Romanian shepherds; nor did the clueless Ceausescu nor Kádár, nor did Medgyessy who toasted with his new friends on December 1st. Let us establish one thing: we still do not know, to this day, the solution to how Hungarians and Romanians can live in peace together in Transylvania – or anywhere for that matter where the threats of 1918 do not cast its shadow.

Now, when the President of Hungary, Katalin Novák was chided for feeling obliged to represent Hungarians in Transylvania, it would have been nice if these aggressors would have expressed their opposition a bit more elegantly. But they failed. We have once again learned that Hungarians in Transylvania can only be represented by the Romanian state and – as they delicately put it – there should be a distinction between Hungarians born within Hungary and those that were not.

We are not so sure of this.

Maybe because our conception of the nation is more modern than the Romanian government’s. We do not staunchly, inflexibly believe in the nation-states of the 19th century but rather in a Europe without borders with individual and civil liberties, regionalism, and extensive rights. It is quite sad that the Bucharest government did not even pose the question to themselves: have we done everything possible to hold up our end of the Paris peace accords? Are they even aware of the promises they themselves sanctified concerning the free use of language, ownership, and self-government of national minorities?

Let us not deceive ourselves: the Romanian government first and foremost represents the interests of ethnic Romanians – that is their duty. Now, 102 years after our tragedy, let us state our legally and morally indisputable position: every Hungarian is responsible for every Hungarian. There is no force in the world that can once again force the Hungarian state to remain silent and under lies as during communism.

We also have a peculiar feeling that the vigilant Romanian government should explain not only to the Hungarian President but to their own citizens: why is it better to live in the 19th century than in 2022? I am referring to when most of the Romanian hockey team sings the Hungarian anthem with the Hungarian team, or when the Sfanta Gheorge (Sepsiszentgyörgy) team’s fans sing the Transylvanian anthem (Székely Himnusz) in the Bucharest arena – it is as if they do not totally understand the government’s opposition. They live, sing and think as Hungarians in Transylvania – we apologize for them not wanting to be a part of the majority.

So how should Romanians and Hungarians handle each other? Let us start with the first step: recognize that Transylvanian Hungarians are free people; the Romanian government exclusively does not control the Hungarians and their customs, especially given that their communities are not Romanian. Life and history show a slightly more complicated image than the one Bucharest seems to be looking at. Hungarians are simply Hungarian; this is where we start and let us admit that this is where it ends as well. And if anything, this perspective will not change while Hungarians and Romanians live together in the Carpathian Basin. We feel that for Hungarians, Hungarian interests are the most important just as Romanian interests are most important for Romanians. As well as for the millions of Hungarians torn from their homeland who we view with the same love and attention as we do for our compatriots born in the motherland. It is that simple.

Photo: Bruzák Noémi