Leader of Hungarians in Slovakia – “We need value-oriented politics”

László Gubík, who was elected leader of the political party of Hungarians in Slovakia at the end of September this year, has outlined his vision for the Hungarian minority in Slovakia (numbering some 400.000), in an interview for news portal Magyar 7. The young leader of the Hungarian Alliance, who is also director of the Esterházy Academy, has been elected to lead indigenous Hungarians in Slovakia despite the fact that he has lost his own Slovak citizenship after receiving a Hungarian one, due to Slovakia’s controversial laws prohibiting dual citizenship.

During the interview he explained his earlier remarks about the beginning of a “change of an era,” by saying the term expresses a common goal that we must achieve together. “It is important to make it clear that I want to be everyone’s President. I see this new service as an opportunity to gain the confidence of those who may not have voted for me,” said Gubík, alluding to the fact that the Hungarian minority in Slovakia is deeply divided along the lines of “left” and “right,” “liberal” and “conservative,” just like the rest of society.

The term “change of an era” means programmatic thinking and principled politics. This is my political creed.”

It is very important to regain people’s trust, because loss of trust is the main cause of failure. In addition to public apathy, there is also a growing distrust of each other within society. This must also change if the proposed reforms are to be successful, explained the Hungarian Alliance’s new president, referring to the fact that this is the third electoral cycle when Hungarians could not reach the 5% parliamentary threshold despite making up some 8% of the population.

Gubík welcomed the fact that the Head of State Peter Pellegrini had signed a nominal increase in the budget for the Minority Cultural Fund from EUR 8.3 to 8.8 million. However, he expressed skepticism over parts of the planned education reform in Slovakia that may also affect Hungarian-language secondary schools in the country. “Maintaining the intact network of Hungarian-language secondary schools is in our vital interest, and we will therefore be initiating a meeting with the heads of the institutions in the near future,” he said.

As an important addition to his earlier statement concerning creating a party that bridges ideological divides among minority Hungarians, he noted that while he considers himself a proponent of inclusiveness, he would not envisage a meaningless, value-neutral party.

I believe that we need a value-oriented party that speaks out boldly,”

he emphasized. We need to rally Hungarians in Slovakia behind the only relevant party, the Hungarian Alliance, in such a way that we can reflect on the issues that concern our community and the processes in the world that affect us, Gubík claimed. This will require communication discipline, not only within the party, but also within the party’s ranks, he added, hinting at the divisions that characterized earlier political movements of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. What is articulated in the party headquarters can only work well if the message reaches the broader membership in their localities. The message must also reach the press and the civil society. Without it, we will certainly not be able to get back into national politics, back into the “A-league.” We will need partners who respect and enforce the discipline of communication, Gubík said.

As to the values the party will be based on, he said that he understands that not everyone can get behind the “conservative” or “liberal definition,” but if we talk about being pro-rural or family-oriented in our message, we go beyond ideological boundaries. He also believes that the concept of Christian Democracy could still be a point of identification even among more liberal-minded Hungarian voters. With the right attitude, and of course, effective work, these conflicts can be resolved, Gubík emphasized. But the goal must be a return to the A league, a return to parliament. However, first the party must raise issues that will get them back into the national public discourse. For this purpose, as far as the interest of the Hungarian community is concerned, it is a priority that infighting and divisions among Hungarians from Slovakia should seize. The goal is to restore trust in each other and in the common cause, in the common Hungarian future. Perhaps the latter is even more important than the political goal, all the more so because such a spirit can lead to a good electoral performance, concluded the new President of the Hungarian Alliance in Slovakia.

Via Ma7.sk; Featured Image:Facebook Magyar Szövetség