Slovakia criminalises criticism of Beneš decrees
The Slovakian parliament passed a new law in December that makes criticism of the Beneš decrees a criminal offence. In the post-war period, these decrees led to the expatriation and expropriation of the German and Hungarian minorities in Czechoslovakia. In Hungary, there have been protests against the law, but only by the opposition, while Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has remained silent on the issue.
Incompatible with today's view of the law
Denník N laments the government's decision to make questioning the Beneš decrees a criminal offence:
“From today's perspective, these decrees are unacceptable, as they are discriminatory laws that are incompatible with our current understanding of human rights and the rule of law. It makes no sense that Slovakia is still proudly clinging to these inhumane legal provisions in 2025. We cannot claim to condemn the principle of collective guilt while at the same time upholding the inviolability of the Beneš decrees. Questioning the Beneš decrees doesn't necessarily mean that all the legal consequences that these regulations triggered must be reversed. That would be practically impossible.”
Political interests come first for Orbán
Maintaining harmonious relations with Fico is more important to the Hungarian Prime Minister than matters of national principle, suggests Magyar Hang:
“Orbán is abstaining from taking action against this scandalous and serious violation of the law which affects [ethnic] Hungarians [living in Slovakia] because an open conflict with Robert Fico would harm him more politically than it would help him. … In the run-up to the [2026] parliamentary elections, he wouldn't dream of sacrificing a proven 'sovereignist partner' over a legal dispute based on principle. Any enquiries addressed to our government will be of no use: the state will merely repeat that the protection of Hungarians beyond the country's borders is a priority. It will act decisively only if its own political interests make it worthwhile to do so.”
A volatile mix
Český rozhlas already explained back in November the motives that may have prompted Slovak opposition leader Michal Šimečka to raise the issue of the decrees - which then led to the ban:
“From his perspective, it may have been an attempt to gain support for his party among Slovakia's Hungarians. … But there is also a somewhat bolder theory: Šimečka may have tried to drive a wedge between [Slovak Prime Minister Robert] Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Past conflicts have always been a highly sensitive issue in Slovak–Hungarian relations. And it was often representatives of Orbán's Fidesz party who demanded the repeal of the Beneš Decrees and criticised the actual or alleged discrimination against Hungarians in Slovakia.”
Nationalism helps Russia
Policies driven by nationalist interests in the region are incompatible with Europe's interests, warns Maszol, as the main media outlet for the Hungarian minority in Romania:
“In the name of a sovereigntist policy line, our mother country [Hungary] allies itself with individuals who are unworthy of [such an alliance] or even dangerous for Hungarians. … The problem with the sovereigntist 'movement' is that its influence on the 'EU empire' is uncertain, while it is guaranteed to reawaken traditional nationalism in the region. And that aligns perfectly with the well-understood interests of Russian imperialism, since the Russians would be thrilled if the countries of Central and Eastern Europe were to go for each other's throats again, in keeping with hate-filled nationalist traditions. That is why Russia is doing everything it can to ensure that this happens.”