On Friday afternoon in the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Prime Minister-President of Fidesz Viktor Orbán received President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ) István Pásztor with whom he also consulted with respect to the upcoming general elections in Serbia.
According to the information of Bertalan Havasi, the Deputy State Secretary heading the Press Office of the Prime Minister, the parties confirmed that in the upcoming elections VMSZ will put itself to the test at every level.
Mr Pásztor informed Mr Orbán that “the strategic partnership proudly confessed [by VMSZ] towards Fidesz-KDNP in recent years” has not only strengthened the Hungarian community in Vojvodina, but has also earned appreciation and respect for Hungarians in their native land. “After a hundred years of solitude, not only are Vojvodina Hungarians proud of belonging to the nation in a constitutional sense, but also help their neighbours in Serbia so that they, too, can enjoy its benefits,” the President of VMSZ said, adding that historical reconciliation constituted the basis of inclusion, tolerance and coexistence which – instead of merely wiping frictions away – healed the wounds with the curative properties of humaneness and dignity”.
According to Mr Pásztor’s evaluation, the Hungarian community’s general frame of mind and quality of life have improved, “more significantly than indicated by the general atmosphere”. Improving public atmosphere will be at the centre of the election campaign beginning on 15 March and lasting just under a month and a half, he pointed out at the talks.
He said VMSZ will use all media as well as all honest methods in order to inform members of the Hungarian community about the results they have achieved together, and what they may stand to lose if they fail to exercise their democratic right and fail to take part in the elections. The stakes are no less than that the advancement and cohesion of the united Hungarian nation could come to a halt, Mr Pásztor said, taking the view that therefore people must be made aware that business enterprises, tourism and infrastructure developments, the opportunities offered by the process of EU accession which is strongly supported by the Hungarian government and the competent EU commissioner, artistic activities and events fostering the Hungarian heritage “are not about preserving the past one hundred years, but about whether we will be able to create a life for ourselves in our native land, struggling with the process of emigration and declining demographic indicators,” the VMSZ President said.
At the talks, the parties discussed minority policy affairs, the topical issues of Serbia’s EU integration, and some high-priority major development projects, including the Szeged-Szabadka (Subotica) railway line.
At the meeting, Mr Pásztor expressed hope that also in the upcoming election campaign they would be able to rely on visits to Vojvodina from Fidesz politicians and representatives of the Hungarian government, Mr Havasi said.
(MTI; kormany.hu)
