Criticism of 2009 ban of Hungarian President from Slovakia

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Main article: 2009 ban of Hungarian President from Slovakia

Although he didn't have any information about groups planning demonstrations, he also declared they will not prevent extremists of the nationalist Slovenská pospolitosť (Slovak Brotherhood) from going there and demonstrate.

“We will not check the Slovak Republic and we can not know whether someone will try to use the visit of the president in Komárno in some sensitive questions.”

– Robert Fico

Contents

Unveiling in absence of the Hungarian President

The news stating that Sólyom is not allowed to enter Slovakia was received with loud whistling among the gathered 2000-3000 people on the square where the statue was about to be unveiled.

The speeches before the unveiling were about the needed cooperation, and encouraged peace between the two countries, which was received with applause by the mainly Hungarian celebrators.

A few Slovak protesters attended the ceremony, with signs saying among others "Sólyom, go home".

Antal Heizer, ambassador of Hungary in Bratislava read the planned ceremonial speech of László Sólyom to the crowd.

Hungarian politicians of Slovakia took part in the ceremony, among others the mayor of the town, Tibor Bastrnák.

“I turn around because they can not rouse me into a deliberate law infringement as I am a lawyer and a head of state. However, I hope the people of Komárom will remember this visit in their hearts, and that I will come back.”
“In a relation of two allied states, this step is unexplainable and inexplicable, with particular attention to the given reason of the ban stating that my presence constitutes a security risk.”[1]
“I hope the hysteria of the highest state levels in the last days does not reflect the feelings of the Slovak nation.” [2]

– László Sólyom

Reactions of Hungary

The government of Hungary called the ban "unexpected", "unfounded" and it's justification "deplorable" and "unacceptable".[3]

The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Balázs called the ban an unprecedented case. According to him, the ban was not lawful, because the already given international permissions haven't been withdrawn and the embassy just got an "unfriendly" document, which would in theory have allowed Sólyom to enter Slovakia. He also said the Slovak diplomacy has turned international law "upside down" by leaving the international permissions while banning Sólyom personally, as a civilian.[4] He stated that Hungary plans to inform the EU and a broader international public about the this "rude" political action.

The chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Parliament of Hungary, Zsolt Németh declared:[5]

“This is the result of a long process, that raised anti-Hungarianism to a government level in the last three years, the main reason of which is that Prime Minister Robert Fico has put an extremist party into the government.″

– Zsolt Németh

He also claimed that it is the duty of the international community to find a way of driving Slovakia back to the road of respecting human rights and minority rights.

Media coverage

Slovakia

In the Slovak press, the opinions were divided about the move of the Slovak government. Those sympathizing with the government have generally agreed with the move. Dag Daniš of Pravda wrote:[6]

“The trip of Hungarian president to Komárno has failed miserably. For Hungary and Slovakia as well. The only one responsible for it, however is Sólyom. He could've missed out on this diplomatic mess-up. Provided he hadn't been stubborn and arrogant.”

– Dag Daniš, journalist, Pravda

More liberal and less pro-government papers have condemned the Slovak reaction as well. As Peter Morvay of SME wrote[7]:

“Insinuations about deliberate provocation from beyond Danube [i.e. Hungary] is just plain nonsense. Even Hungarian infatuation doesn't justify such an excessive reaction from Fico & Co. unheard of in civilized parts of Europe. Can anyone take it seriously that our successors of communism [i.e. the governing coalition]) led by the one [Fico] who didn't notice November 17 [day of the Velvet revolution in 1989], are troubled by the date marking the beginning of "normalization", which jump-started their career?”

Most of these media empires are regularly accused of being the sole advocates of the opposition (fueled mostly by the prime minister's attacks on the media). Yet numerous members of the opposition have agreed with the ban. Mikuláš Dzurinda, president of the leading opposition party SDKÚ has been quoted to say that Sólyom is instigating conflicts.[8]Pavol Abrhán, member of the opposite KDH has suggested that a diplomatic note should be sent to Hungary.[9]

Czech Republic

The Czech media was amongst the first to condemn most (if not all) of the Slovak government's deeds. Mladá Fronta Dnes columnist Magdalena Sodomková wrote:[10]

“[...]The actions of the Slovak politicians are embarrassing as well. With all heart, connecting the celebrations of (a foreign, but still holy) King Stephen I with the anniversary of the occupation (of the Warsaw Pact) is a bit far-fetched.[...]”

—Magdalena Sodomková, journalist, Mladá Fronta Dnes

Another daily, Lidové noviny wrote an article in a similar tone:[11]

“If we (i.e. the Czechs) would interpret history the same way as today's rulers of Slovakia, then we'd have to rename Karl's Bridge and also Rudolfinum, since they bear the names of the former rulers of the oppressing Austrian Empire.[...]Shocking is also the fact that the Slovaks are unsettled by the reason of the visit itself, that is the inauguration of the statue of King Saint Stephen (in Komárno).[...]”

—Luboš Palata, journalist, Lidové Noviny

References

  1. ^ „Ez két szövetséges állam kapcsolatában megmagyarázhatatlan és kimenthetetlen lépés, különös tekintettel a kitiltás indokolására, vagyis arra, hogy biztonsági kockázatot jelent a jelenlétem”
  2. ^ „Remélem, hogy az utolsó napok hisztériája a legfelsőbb állami szinteken nem a szlovák nép érzelmeit tükrözi”
  3. ^ http://www.mti.hu/cikk/413770/
  4. ^ http://www.mti.hu/cikk/413776/
  5. ^ http://www.hirsarok.hu/node/34148
  6. ^ "Pravda - Prezident Sólyom verzus prezident Packa". Perex, a.s.. 2009-08-22. http://nazory.pravda.sk/prezident-solyom-verzus-prezident-packa-fps-/sk-nkom.asp?c=A090821_220244_sk-nkom_p29. Retrieved on 2009-08-23. 
  7. ^ "SME - Stĺpček Petra Morvaya: Zbytočná hystéria". Petit Press, a.s.. 2009-08-21. http://komentare.sme.sk/c/4985223/stlpcek-petra-morvaya-zbytocna-hysteria.html. Retrieved on 2009-08-23. 
  8. ^ "dnes.sk - Sólyom provokuje, tvrdí Dzurinda". centrumholdings.com. 2009-08-20. http://dnes.atlas.sk/slovensko/politika/586978/solyom-provokuje-tvrdi-dzurinda. Retrieved on 2009-08-23. 
  9. ^ "SME.sk - Sólyoma sa zastali len Csáky a Bugár (Sólyom was supported only by Csáky and Bugár)". Petit Press a.s.. 2009-08-20. http://www.sme.sk/c/4982492/solyoma-sa-zastali-len-csaky-a-bugar.html. Retrieved on 2009-08-23. 
  10. ^ "Na Dunaji se hádají, který šašek je na koni (Arguments on the Danube over the clown on a horse)". MAFRA a.s. 2009-08-22. http://zpravy.idnes.cz/mfdnes.asp?v=196&r=nazorya&c=1244944. Retrieved on 2009-08-23. 
  11. ^ "Svatý Štefan, slavný král Slovenska (Saint Stephen, famous king of Slovakia)". Lidové noviny a.s.. 2009-08-21. http://www.lidovky.cz/svaty-stefan-slavny-kral-slovenska-d64-/ln_noviny.asp?c=A090821_000025_ln_noviny_sko&klic=232977&mes=090821_0. Retrieved on 2009-08-23. 
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