WWII Decrees: Politicians in Romania Show Solidarity with Hungarian Minority in Slovakia

Demonstration against the Beneš Decrees in Dunajská Streda

László Gubík, president of the Hungarian Alliance (MSZ) in Slovakia, thanked Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Allience of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) and Loránt Vincze, Member of the European Parliament representing RMDSZ in a Facebook post for their “clear commitment” in connection with the Slovakian amendment to the law, which makes denial of the Beneš Decrees a criminal offense.

“The natural sense of justice of the Hungarians in Transylvania, gained from historical experience, is a compass that can always be relied upon, especially in difficult times,” wrote the MSZ president.

On December 23, Slovakian head of state Peter Pellegrini signed an amendment to the criminal code that, among other things, makes questioning the post-war order punishable by law, referring to the Beneš Decrees that assign collective guilt to Hungarians and Germans.

Hunor Kelemen. Photo: MTI/Kiss Gábor

Kelemen Hunor responded to this by saying – “Threatening prison sentences to suppress opinion is a demonstration of power that masks weakness.

Criminalizing the debate on the Beneš Decrees does not serve to come to terms with the past, but to silence the present

— especially those whose historical injuries continue to have tangible consequences today. For us, the Hungarians in Transylvania, history is lived experience. If a minority cannot speak freely about the injustices of the past, it also has fewer rights in the present. A constitutional state must not keep its minorities in fear, but offer them security. If today a question concerning the historical memory of minorities is punished with six months in prison, what will be the next step tomorrow? Freedom of expression is not a privilege. The past must not be concealed, but must be dealt with – with words, courage, and the means of the rule of law,” declared the chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ).

Loránt Vincze. Photo: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu

Loránt Vincze spoke in the European Parliament about the Beneš Decrees. “In 2025, the practice of collective guilt continues to exist at the heart of the European Union.

In Slovakia, land is still being expropriated today on the basis of the Beneš Decrees, while criticism of them can even be punished with imprisonment.

All this constitutes a serious violation of property rights and freedom of expression. The credibility of the European Union is at stake: the principle of equality before the law must not be applied selectively,” emphasized the RMDSZ MEP.

Fact

Hungary’s statements on the denial of the Beneš Decrees were remarkably restrained. Foreign Minister Szijjártó repeated the familiar “we are in constant contact” platitudes, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén preferred to pass the buck to the Germans, who, according to him, had failed to point out the incompatibility of EU membership with the maintenance of the post-war order based on the principle of collective guilt, and the State Secretary for National Policy, Lőrinc Nacsa, called for “cooperation based on mutual respect instead of decrees and penalties.” Careful not to jeopardize the fragile relations between the two governments on foreign policy issues, official Budapest has opted for a more subdued communication strategy for tactical reasons, appeasing Bratislava but disappointing the Hungarian community in its northern neighbor.

Minority MEP Condemns Slovakia’s “Shameful” Use of Collective Guilt