Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BUDAPEST1102
2008-11-18 14:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Budapest
Cable title:  

HUNGARIAN/SLOVAKIAN PRIME MINISTERS MEET NOVEMEBER

Tags:  PREL PGOV LO HU 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUP #1102/01 3231445
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181445Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3591
INFO RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 1038
UNCLAS BUDAPEST 001102 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARIAN/SLOVAKIAN PRIME MINISTERS MEET NOVEMEBER
15

REF: A. BUDAPEST 0516

B. BRATISLAVA 0507

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 001102

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARIAN/SLOVAKIAN PRIME MINISTERS MEET NOVEMEBER
15

REF: A. BUDAPEST 0516

B. BRATISLAVA 0507


1. (SBU) Summary. In their first substantial meeting in
more than a year, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany of Hungary
and Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia on November 15
discussed ways to decrease ethnic tensions that reached a
flash point during a November 1 soccer match in the Slovakian
border town of Dunajska Streda. Gyurcsany and Fico issued a
joint statement following their meeting, committing to
counter extremist ideologies and groups as well as searching
for ways to strengthen cross-border, "good neighborly"
relations. While this meeting is a small, positive step
forward, much remains to be done to address fundamental
minority issues, which, over the past two years, have been
exacerbated by ultra-nationalist groups on both sides of the
border - in particular the right-wing Jobbik party and Magyar
Garda in Hungary, and Slovak National Party head Jan Slota in
Slovakia. End summary.


2. (SBU) During the past year, Hungarian Prime Minister
Ferenc Gyurcsany and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico
have been standing in the wings - stage left and stage right
- unable to find the right moment - or reason - to move to
stage center for a substantive meeting. Only in the
aftermath of violence at a soccer match in the Slovakian
border town of Dunajska Streda (Dunaszerdahely in Hungarian)
on November 1, where Slovak riot police injured more than 60
of the 800 Hungarian fans in attendance (ref B),did the two
agree to meet November 15.


3. (SBU) Following the meeting, the Prime Ministers issued a
four-point, joint statement committing to: reject extremist
ideology and groups; strengthen a commitment to use all
possible political and legal tools to counter extremists
ideologies; protect the cultural identity of ethnic
minorities living in both countries; and nurture the "good
neighborly" relationships between the two countries in order
to further strengthen cross-border economic and other
cooperation.


4. (SBU) While the meeting is a small step forward to improve
bi-lateral relations, the main Hungarian opposition party,
Fidesz, took Gyurcsany to task after Saturday's meeting for
being "incapable of protecting Hungarian citizens." The
Fidesz Press Spokesman noted that the Prime Minister did not

press Fico to provide a full report on the Slovak police
actions - reported as excessive in the majority of the
Hungarian press - during the November 1 soccer match.
However, as a follow-up to Saturday's meeting, Gyurcsany sent
a letter to Fico on Sunday, November 16, requesting that the
Slovak Prime Minister charge an independent authority to
investigate the incident.


5. (SBU) In response, during a Sunday Slovak television
program as reported by Hungarian press, Fico indicated that
the Slovakian Chief Public Prosecutor is suitably well
qualified to handle the issue. Continuing, Fico commented
that Gyurcsany was in a much tougher position vis-a-vis
extremism due to the economic and political situation in
Hungary - one that lends itself to strengthening extremist
views. That said, Slovak Government coalition partner and
Slovak National Party leader Jan Slota's frequent statements
slurring Hungarian politicians and national symbols (ref A)
legitimizes the Slovakian Government's anti-Hungarian
attitude in the minds of many Hungarians.


6. (SBU) There are, however, Hungarian politicians who are
working to engage their Slovak partners on these bi-lateral
issues. Our contacts in Parliament told us on November 17
that Speaker Katalin Szili plans to meet her opposite on
December 3. Additionally, Matyas Eorsi, SZDSZ (Free
Democrat) Chairman of Parliament's European Affairs
Committee, told us on November 14 that during a meeting with
his counterpart, he admitted that Hungary needs to deal with
its own extremists, hoping this would encourage a "spirit of
self-criticism" from his opposite number. That said, in a
follow-up conversation on November 17, Eorsi commented that
he did not expect anything major to come out of the Prime
Ministers' meeting, noting that Fico needs to keep the
radicals in his camp for the next elections.


7. (SBU) Comment. It is an interesting statement on the
status of Hungarian/Slovakian bi-lateral relations that a
violent soccer match provided the impetus for the two Prime
Ministers to meet after a year of on-again, off-again planned
meetings. While both Gyurcsany and Fico committed to counter
extremism, they failed to address the many root causes on
both sides of the border, which include: irredentist goals of

the Hungarian far-right; establishment of the Forum of
Hungarian parliamentarians as a perceived pretext to
interfere in internal Slovakian politics; restrictions on use
of Hungarian language in Slovakian textbooks; perceived
limited financial support to Slovakian schools with ethnic
Hungarian majorities; Slovak reaffirmation of "collective
guilt" legislation; and perhaps most significantly, Prime
Minister Fico's apparent unwillingness to distance himself
from Slota's numerous highly disrespectful and demeaning
comments about Hungarians. We will watch with interest the
results of his promise on November 16 to "attempt to
convince" Slota to stop insulting Hungarian people and their
politicians, as well as Gyurcsany's guidance to Justice and
Law Enforcement Minister Draskovics to develop proposals to
counter radical, extremist movements that damage the
reputation of Hungary and serve as a catalyst for
anti-Hungarian behavior in the region. End comment.


8. (SBU) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Bratislava.
Foley