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

CoNÍusEd public - pARïly on account of tIhe KDH

With respect to this polemic, this author feels compelled to add that the large gap between the time when criticized developments took place and the time of criticism casts doubts over sincerity of Palko’s effort to launch an open debate. At the time when leaders of Nitra and Trnava dioceses provided moral support to founder of the Slovak Republic Vladimír Mečiar and his policies, KDH leaders remained silent; consequently, few observers attach any importance or information value to Palko’s belated analysis of past events.

False loyalty of Christian Democratic leaders with respect to Vladimir Mečiar was also manifested after the 1998 parliamentary elections. Back then, KDH Chairman Ján Čamogurský dismissed some politicians’ proposals to investigate apparent crimes perpetrated during the Mečiar administration’s rule, arguing that founding fathers of the state deserve due deference.

In fall 2008, part of the KDH parliamentary caucus supported national populists who proposed to adopt Lex Hlinka and voted in favour of the law. It was hilarious to watch the rivalry between the KDH and the SNS over whose bill would finally be accepted, although the hilarity somehow fades away in the light of Černová tragedy’s complexity. Similar overlooking of the connection between Christianity and national populism with respect to policies of the HSĽS during the period of 1939-1945 is more than symptomatic for KDH positions.

Generally speaking, Vladimir Palkó put his finger on certain problematic issues in Slovakia’s post-November development when Catholics in Slovakia were confused by some church dignitaries who preferred particular national benefits or limited ethnocentric interpretations to actions complying with general ethical values.

On the other hand, Vladimír Palkó was among those politicians whose silence actually encouraged Archbishop Ján Sokol or Cardinal Ján Chryzostom Korec in their public endorsement of nationalism and overt expressions of sympathies with respect to National Socialism.

Only time can tell whether Palko’s newfound courage to criticize Cardinal Korec’s behaviour from 15 years ago is honest; politically, though, one may say that Palkó is working a lost cause. Fooled by national populism dressed in a church habit, Roman Catholic Slovakia will always trust an archbishop or a cardinal rather than Vladimír Palkó.

241