Petőcz Kálmán (szerk.): National Populism and Slovak - Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006-2009 (Somorja, 2009)
László Öllös: Time for Hungarian-Slovak Dialogue (Conclusion)
Time for Hungarian -Slovak Dialogue future. If they are able to replace hostility toward another nation with alliance, then they themselves will become better, freer and richer; likewise, their national life will not become more endangered but more secure. But in order to achieve a new state of affairs, Slovakia and its Hungarian neighbour must be bound together by something more than common economic interests or common NATO and EU membership. They must develop a close and special relation inspiring a mutual conviction that our allies would not threaten us even if they had an opportunity. A national advantage ensuing from an allied relation is rightfully considered more important than a national advantage acquired at the expense of others. The Hungarians do not have to relinquish those forms of pressure that are internationally acceptable as they may well continue to be useful and effective. What they must give up is using ambiguous terms and ‘toying’ with the issue of border inviolability. A Central European ear is extremely sensitive to such ambiguities, particularly if two-facedness is typical for both sides of the issue. Is it possible at all to conduct such a discussion with the political community of neighbouring states if it contradicts interests of a significant share of their political elite? Judging from options that were available in the past, the answer must be negative because basic national communication means were traditionally in the hands of national states.6 In the 21s' century, though, this status quo is beginning to change: the Internet is getting out of control; many television and radio stations are not under immediate government control anymore; a certain segment of the print media is willing to provide space to such discussions.7 In the age of international human rights conventions, national states are unable to restrict publication of books and magazines or distribution of films in neighbouring nations’ languages; within the EU, it is impossible to restrict imports of such merchandise by trade barriers. Innovation and price decline have become perpetual qualities of electronic media that allow for independent mass communication. National states’ power institutions can indeed be circumvented! If citizens of Slovakia could receive information on each Slovak-Hungarian affair on an everyday basis sitting in front of their computers in the comfort of their homes; if tens and hundreds of thousands of people could read the works of Bibó, Jászi and other great thinkers of the past and - even more importantly - the works of contemporary Hungarian authors thanks to the Internet and electronic media; if droves of Slovak students and pupils were invited to Slovak-Hungarian cultural and social events (e.g. summer camps); if Hungarian authors regularly published their ideas in Slovak periodical press, then the task of anti-Hungarian ideologists would become infi-255
