There are two possibilities: one, that history class in Lithuanian performing arts higher education is very poor, or two, that the Lithuanian actors who came as guests to our country, are taking gross advantage of this chance to consciously insult a Central European nation with a very similar fate as theirs. There is no other way to explain the Lithuanian actors, enjoying Hungarian hospitality in the MITEM international theater festival, who went on to insult the Hungarian Prime Minster – and then were surprised when Budapest was not filled with Ukrainian flags afterwards.
I assume the Lithuanians would not be very appreciative if a Hungarian drama company, on a national Lithuanian stage, were to insult Lithuania’s democratically-elected, highest political leader and then be surprised that not a single Polish flag be waving in the streets of Vilnius. Yet that would be much more plausible because, while Budapest was never a part of Ukraine, Vilnius was a Polish city before the Second World War.
Dear Lithuanian guests!
We have been allies to many big powers in several wars, and it has always ended badly for us. This is exactly why we are not interested in how the Russians and Americans are destroying each other in Ukraine, and we certainly do not want to get involved. We do not sympathize with the Russians nor the Americans. We do feel bad for the Ukrainians; we know all too well what it is like when great powers are playing a game of soccer on a smaller countries’ territory. Throughout our history, we have experienced this more than once.
However, our sympathy is somewhat diminished by the fact that, as a result of a historical mistake, Ukraine owns a portion of land, without any legal basis, that was an integral part of Hungary for over 1000 years and has a prominent role in the Hungarian identity. Ukraine has sought to forcefully expel or assimilate the Hungarians living in this region. Meanwhile, Ukrainian parliamentary representatives wave threats that their army is ready to attack Hungary and could be at the Balaton within two hours. Let us have some relief that the brave Ukrainians get to show off their military capabilities on a different front than ours!
We Hungarians have learned one thing for certain from our history: never can we count on any great power for something good. The Central European countries (Poland, Lithuania and the rest) that are currently enthusiastically bootlicking for the USA and the Western European countries that are desperate to serve will be abandoned by America the minute interests divest. In fact, they may even kick them while they are down by bombing them to pieces – just as they did with Hungary in the Second World War or Serbia a few years ago.
There is only one alternative to being vulnerable to the great powers: Central European unity, from the Baltic to the Adriatic. A Central Europe with clear, common values that is not seeking mercy from the great powers but can exist on its own – and if history demands, existing even as an alternative to the European Union. We should be developing this, rather than hurting each other, because otherwise we will be the pawns of the great powers for eternity – to the delight of Russia and the United States.
