Hungary's Day of National Unity: Celebrating That We Are of One Blood and Belong Together

"Every Hungarian, no matter where in the world they live, can count on Hungary and on the national government. We must not allow Brussels’s old and new actors to divide the Hungarian nation again!" — this was Lorinc Nacsa’s message to Hungarians abroad on the occasion of the Day of National Unity. The State Secretary for Nation Policy emphasized: it is important not to lament over the Peace Treaty of Trianon, but to work to ensure that the Hungarian nation remains strong — in the motherland, in the Carpathian Basin, and across the world. Nacsa also said that there is still no cross-party national consensus regarding ethnic Hungarians abroad, and shared his views on, among other things, to what extent the Tisza Party represents that unity.

Lorinc Nacsa, Hungarian State Secretary for Nation Policy (Photo: Attila Polyak)

June 4 is the Day of National Unity, commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Trianon that ended World War I. Some voices claim this issue is no longer relevant and it’s not worth dealing with events that affected the entire Hungarian nation. Why does this national day of remembrance still hold special importance in the government’s nation policy?

We usually refer to it as the Trianon diktat, one of the greatest historical tragedies of the 20th century for Hungary: the country lost two-thirds of its territory and a significant part of its population. Since then, many Hungarians — including the ancestors of many alive today — have been forced to live in foreign countries.

This is a national tragedy. We became a world nation without wanting to be.

The past 100 years have shown that even after all this time, Hungarians remain strong, and we are working to ensure it stays that way. The Day of National Unity is so named because while we mourn what we must, we also draw strength from what we’ve achieved in the past century.

It is an incredible achievement that Hungarians remain the largest nation in the Carpathian Basin — we live, we have institutions, and we are economically strong enough to take responsibility for Hungarian communities beyond our borders.

Over the past 15 years, the national government has built a homeland that every Hungarian can rely on — whether they are in trouble or simply wish to return home. On this day, we also celebrate that we are of one blood and belong together, and this gives us strength in our daily lives.

Influenced by Western ideologies, there are some young people who identify more as cosmopolitans and feel detached from national values or from the legacy of Trianon. How can they be engaged in the national community?

For young people, the Without Borders program guarantees that by the time they graduate, they will have visited a Hungarian community abroad. Thanks to government support, 45–50,000 students travel each year to these regions, even if their families couldn’t take them. We think it's important to show — through films, performances, and school lessons — the impact Trianon had on the nation.

Fotó: Polyák Attila

But it is also important not to dwell on past tragedies, but to ensure that the Hungarian nation is strong — in the motherland, in the Carpathian Basin and globally.

Because if the nation is strong, it can support its youth in achieving their goals: starting families, finding homes, becoming entrepreneurs, continuing education, choosing a profession — in all of this, a strong nation can help. But political movements that refuse to think in terms of a nation — as the opposition does today — exclude millions of Hungarians from these programs and from feeling that they are part of the nation.

This day of commemoration has now existed for 15 years. Has a cross-party national consensus formed on the issue of Hungarians outside our borders?

Among the people, yes — on the political spectrum, no. We just had the 15th anniversary of the dual citizenship law, which allowed 1.2 million people to gain citizenship since 2011. The legal reunification of the nation contributed to the feeling of national unity. Yet, some political actors still oppose it.

They regularly attack the granting of citizenship and voting rights, and any support given to Hungarians in the surrounding countries — support meant to preserve and strengthen Hungarian communities.

Photo by Attila Polyak

The Democratic Coalition, for example, wants to strip those abroad of their citizenship and funding. Meanwhile, the Tisza Party, the strongest extra-parliamentary opposition, treats Hungarians abroad as second-class citizens. So although there is national consensus within society, there is no unity on the political spectrum.

Peter Magyar claims to be a nation-minded politician and supporter of Hungarians in the neighboring countries. Why don’t you see the Tisza Party as a true representative of national unity?

Peéter Magyar is lying again. Touching Transylvanian anecdotes aside, the reality is that he wants to serve his Brussels masters at the expense of the entire Hungarian nation. He even called Oradea (Nagyvarad) “Romanian land” before arriving there. He asked his supporters not to use Hungarian flags or symbols, and later called the leaders of the largest Hungarian organization in Transylvania spies.

This coming from a man who spied on his own wife, secretly recorded and surveilled his trusted colleagues, and is currently cooperating with Ukrainian intelligence against Hungary.

If you look at the Tisza Party’s positions, it’s clear they align with Brussels on nearly every major issue 

— Ukraine’s EU accession, the war, migration, utility price caps, the 13th-month pension — all areas where Brussels and the Hungarian people differ sharply. Big rhetoric, but meanwhile they keep voting in Brussels against Hungarian interests.

Photo by Attila Polyak

Let’s not forget: Brussels doesn't care about the rights of indigenous national minorities — it does not stand up for them when their rights are taken away. We can expect the same from the Tisza Party. What we see is a strategy — familiar from 2004 — of pitting Hungarian against Hungarian. Peter Magyar talks about unity, the nation and love, but in reality, he incites division and pits Hungarians against each other. He preaches Hungarian values while dressing his party's MPs in Ukrainian jerseys.

In light of all this, what do you think of the Tisza Party’s “One Million Steps” initiative?

What matters is what the Tisza Party is actually doing: they’ve aligned with Brussels and keep voting for war, pro-Ukraine, and pro-migration policies in the European Parliament. That’s the essence. 'Brussels Peter' wants to distract from this, so he provokes, performs and puts on costumes.

This was nothing more than a march for Ukraine — full of self-promoting selfies — and really a slap in the face to the Hungarian diaspora.

This kind of anti-national behavior leads nowhere good. It strays from the path of national unity and strengthening the nation.

The Romanian presidential election also received much attention in Hungary, where Nicusor Dan won. He has already been sworn in. What is your assessment of his election, and what cooperation do you expect between him and the Hungarian government?

We wish him success and congratulate him — it was a hard-fought campaign. For us, in Transylvania and Romania, we must always consider the interests of the Hungarian minority living there. We hope to build a good Hungarian–Romanian relationship with the new president, with special attention to the needs of ethnic Hungarians. Many ethnic Hungarians voted for him, so it is in our interest to establish and maintain a relationship that benefits them.

Finally, what is your message to Hungarians abroad on the Day of National Unity?

Thank you for your loyalty to the nation, that we can live as Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin and around the world. Every Hungarian, wherever they live, can count on Hungary and on the national government. We must not allow Brussels’s old and new actors to divide the Hungarian nation again!

Cover photo: Lorinc Nacsa, Hungarian State Secretary for Nation Policy (Photo: Attila Polyak)