Czech president backs Slovakia in citizenship dispute with Hungary
Czech President Václav Klaus has expressed support for Slovakia in its dispute with Hungary over recently approved legislation allowing ethnic Hungarians to apply for Hungarian citizenship. The move, seen as a “security risk” by Bratislava, has prompted the Czech head of state to voice his longstanding concerns about Hungary’s intentions in the region.
As of July, some 500,000 Slovak citizens of Hungarian ethnicity, around 10 percent of the country’s population, will be able to apply for Hungarian citizenship.
The new legislation, approved by the Hungarian parliament on Wednesday, provoked instant retaliation by Slovakia; on the same day, the Slovak parliament passed a law which will strip anyone of their Slovak citizenship should they apply for Hungarian nationality.
Following the talks, the ambassador said his country “was not alone, which is an important signal”. For his part, the Hungarian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Laszlo Szöke, believes the Czech president over-reacted.
“I don’t in fact think there is a reason for deep concern, or else, a necessity to politically express solidarity on an issue which by all means would be considered an issue of symbolic nature, had it not been for the election campaign in Slovakia. I think the issue has been overblown for tactical reasons, and not in Hungary. What we have seen is a politically orchestrated hysteria.”
However, the latest skirmish between Hungary and Slovakia has roots in Czechoslovak history. The 1920 Treaty of Trianon stripped Hungary of more than two thirds of its pre-war territory, leaving large Hungarian minorities in the newly established states, including Czechoslovakia.
Slovak politicians have repeatedly voiced concerns that Budapest’s ultimate goal is to abolish the treaty, and re-draw the map of central Europe. One of its architects was the then Czechoslovak foreign minister Edvard Beneš, whose legacy President Klaus holds in high esteem.
“In my opinion, Mr. Klaus’ reaction shows that Czech foreign policy is on a double track. The Czech Foreign Ministry has shown some restraint, which I consider to be more fitting on the part of the Czechs.
“Disregarding what we think of Hungary’s decision, it was provoked by the fact that central Europe was organized unjustly, and the Czechs played a big role in that. So I would expect some restraint here.”
Hungary’s ambassador to Prague, Laszlo Szöke says that the fact the dual citizenship legislation was approved just days before the 90th anniversary of the treaty’s signing, is pure coincidence. He also believes that at least some in the Czech Republic understand that Budapest does not want to see the Trianon Treaty scrapped.
“Well, I think it is understood in the Czech Republic – I’m definitely talking about the Czech government – that there is no questioning on the Hungarian side of the validity of anything that came after WWI and WWII. Being less than completely happy about something and questioning it – these are two concepts with a big divide between them.
The new Hungarian law also applies to some 20,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the Czech Republic. But their representatives say they do not expect much interest in acquiring Hungarian citizenship since under the Czech legislation, they would be stripped of their Czech nationality as a result.
