Last Respects Are Paid to Istvan Pasztor in Subotica

At the funeral ceremony Hungary's PM Viktor Orban and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic bid farewell to the VMSZ/SVM president.

Szabadka, 2023. november 4. Pásztor István, a Vajdasági Magyar Szövetség (VMSZ) elnökének fotója a búcsúztatóján a Bajai úti temetõben Szabadkán 2023. november 4-én. MTI/Máthé Zoltán Fotó: Fotó: MTI/Máthé Zoltán

"Istvan Pasztor is a historic figure whose name will be preserved not only in Hungarian, but also in Serbian textbooks, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic stressed, adding

Istvan Pasztor managed to unite the largest Serbian party and the largest Hungarian party in Vojvodina - the Serbian Progressive Party and the Alliance of Hungarians in Vojvodina - and brought together the Serbian leadership with Viktor Orban. Istvan Pasztor always worked for reconciliation, he always protected Hungarian as well as Serbian interests, and he was ready to compromise, because he knew that there was no progress without agreement.

President Vucic highlighted that "Istvan Pasztor became one of the most crucial figures in Serbia's political scene, without whom it would have been impossible to imagine full stability and the closest relations between Serbs and Hungarians".

After the tributes by political figures, the bells tolled while mourners accompanied Istvan Pasztor on his last journey to where the Vojvodina Hungarian leader was laid to rest, Pannon RTV reported.

Istvan Pasztor led the largest ethnic Hungarian party In Serbia for more than 16 years, from 2007. Most recently, he was re-elected as party chairman in May of this year. He was also a city council representative in Subotica, a member of Parliament in Belgrade, and the president of the Vojvodina Provincial House of Representatives. The year before last, he was awarded the middle cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit with a star, and a year later, the president of the Republic of Serbia awarded the first degree of the Candlemas Day Order of Merit to the president of the VMSZ/SVM. (MTI)

Cover photo: Photo of Istvan Pasztor, President of the Alliance of Hungarians in Vojvodina, displayed at the memorial service at the Bajska (Bajai) Road cemetery in Subotica on November 4, 2023 (Photo: MTI/Zoltan Mathe)