euro|topics - József Szilvássy

21/11/2008

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Szilvássy, József

5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

Népszabadság - Hungary | 06/02/2008

Joint Hungarian-Slovakian history book planned

For some time now, a joint Hungarian-Slovakian history textbook has been planned. Yet the textbook, following a German-French model, has not been published to date. Differences in opinion between the historians was not to blame, explains Slovakian historian Dusan Kovac in an interview with József Szilvássy. "Regarding reconciliation of the two countries, I consider the German-French example to be a model, but with one caveat. That process was initiated by the two statesmen, and only later did the intellectuals and citizens get on board. In our region, in contrast, this approach is supported only by those intellectuals who are dedicated to European values – but not by the politicians, neither on the Slovakian nor on the Hungarian side."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 12/11/2007

Demonstrators prevent neo-Nazi march in Prague

Jozsef Szilvassy describes the united stance of Czech citizens and politicians as exemplary. "The intellectuals and church representatives did not remain silent. The fact that all Czech politicians adopted an unequivocal stance was also crucial. Having the cross-party and non-ideological support of both politicians and society made the police's task a lot easier. Although recent corruption scandals have considerably damaged the reputation of the political elite, no one tried to use the Nazi protest for furthering party interests. The conduct of Czech politicians, church representatives and intellectuals - in short of Czech society as a whole - can serve as an example to us all of how to confront the threat of neo-Nazism."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 19/09/2007

The Slovak-Hungarian reconciliation

The Party of the Hungarian Coalition (MKP) in Slovakia recently proposed that the parliaments in Bratislava and Budapest pass a statement of reconciliation to close the history of strained relations between the two countries. Slovak historian Stefan Sutaj, president of the Slovak-Hungarian Historians' Commission, advocates a somewhat different concept of reconciliation in an interview with Józef Szilvássy. "It would be a mistake to make a categorical list of all the injustices for which the two countries should apologise to each other... If the French and the Germans had opted for this solution the list of complaints would be several thousand pages long... Since the history of conflict between Slovakia and Hungary is much less bloody than that between Germany and France, I'm confident we will be able to bring about reconciliation within the near future. But politicians would do better to keep out of this and leave the past to the historians."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 03/12/2006

Ján Slota loses mayoralty in Slovakia

Right-wing populist mayor Ján Slota of the Slovakian National Party lost his post in communal elections in the city of Zilina last Saturday. He had been mayor since the fall of communism. Bratislava correspondent József Szilvássy comments: "No one expected this. Ján Slota's own countrymen, citizens of the northern Slovakian city of Zilina, were primarily dissatisfied with his dictatorial methods, his vulgar style and his hatred for the Hungarian minority. At last, the red card for Ján Slota. No one knows if he will stop his verbal attacks against minorities, or what effect the elections will have on his party. But the rest of the world – not only Slovakia – can learn from the courage of the people of Zilina."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 28/08/2006

A call for reconciliation between Slovaks and Hungarians

Hungarian commentator Jozsef Szilvassy also comments on the attack against a Hungarian-speaking student in Slovakia. He writes that the hostilities have their roots in the history of the two countries. "Just ten years ago the Slovaks' greatest fear was that the Hungarian minority would insist on a change in the border. Eighty percent of all Slovaks still see themselves as having been oppressed by the Hungarians for thousands of years. Even the young generations are taught this in history classes at school. There was indeed a tragic episode in the history of Slovakia and Hungary, but there have never been such bloody conflicts as those between the Germans and French who, nonetheless, are much further on in the process of reconciliation than we are… We should follow the example of the Catholic bishops of Slovakia and Hungary, who have admitted the injustices their country have done to the other and forgiven each other. However, since the collapse of communism, both the parliament in Budapest and the parliament in Bratislava have been incapable of making such a gesture."

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