Petőcz Kálmán (szerk.): National Populism and Slovak - Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006-2009 (Somorja, 2009)
Miroslav Kocúr: For God and Nation: Christian National Populism
For God and Nation: Christian National Populism who live in Slovakia are part of the Catholic Church operating in Slovakia that is not divided by nationality. “In Slovakia, there is not purely Hungarian territory that would not have a single Slovak among its parishioners,” he said. “Besides, the church has bishops who speak fluent Hungarian and who regularly tend to pastoral needs of believers on mixed territories.”17 These statements by the KBS spokesman and other public figures as well as the general atmosphere in this area illustrate a rather reluctant attitude to tackling this issue in an accommodating fashion. In one of his statements, Kováčik even said that the KBS had not been informed about the need that was publicly brought up by Csáky. The public debate on the issue was also joined by President Ivan Gašparovič who said believers should not care about the language in which they turn to God. This also documents very little understanding for what believers in parishes dominated by ethnic Hungarians or on ethnically mixed territories expect from the clergy and their duties. Ce^RATÎONS of CONSTANTÍNE AN<d METhodiUS AINcl CONCRETE DoublE Crosses On July 5, 2009, a public meeting was held at the Devin Castle on the occasion of a public holiday to commemorate Slavic missionaries St. Constantine and St. Methodius. According to print media reports and agency video reports, Prime Minister Robert Fico in his address spoke of the recently adopted amendment to the so-called state language act in connection with alleged Hungarian irredentism.18 The premier argued that protection of state language must be “the principal foothold” of every Slovak administration. According to him, it is the way “to protect ourselves against dangerous irredentism that increasingly often breaths from behind the Danube”.19 The platform was decorated by stylized portraits of the saints while a number of clergymen were present in the audience. Cardinal J. Ch. Korec who attended a similar rally in 2008 praised mutual cooperation of the highest constitutional officials in the field of encouraging national consciousness and pride. While Korec looked on, Premier Fico said in his keynote speech that national solidarity must be built as “a sturdy barrier against activities of the peculiar sort of adventurers who undermine Slovakia’s spiritual integrity”.20 But Fico’s coalition partner and SNS Chairman Ján Slota has a strange way of cementing Slovakia’s spiritual integrity.21 On October 5, 2008, Slota 229
