Letter to the Editor: It’s high time to remove the rose-coloured glasses concerning Ukraine

Dear Mr. Lázár,

Let me express my concerns and indignation to what you have written in your article of April 21, 2018 (The Hungarian American Coalition is honouring Orbán’s lobbyist in Ukraine, Ildikó Orosz) because it contains outrageous accusations and lies that are extremely harmful to Hungarians living in Transcarpathia. I find it profoundly disturbing that, observing the serious difficulties and enormous struggles of Transcarpathian Hungarians from a bird’s-eye view, you are tarnishing the image of a person who has devoted her whole life to the struggle for the Hungarian community, for the Hungarian language education in the region. I know personally Dr. Ildikó Orosz. We have been working hard together for about twenty years for the cause of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, that they will be treated with a degree of human dignity and equal opportunities, and that their language rights, schools, culture and identity not be taken away from them. Ms Orosz has made enormous efforts establishing the sole higher educational institution with Hungarian language in order to have good perspectives of the Hungarian young people on their motherland, and to get higher education in mother tongue.

On what basis do you accuse falsely Ms Orosz “to act according to Putin’s agenda” and to be “Orbán”s lobbyist” when you are clearly not aware of the situation there and of her enormous work? First of all, she is not a “lobbyist”, she is a real community leader and minority rights protector, and a pedagogue of great respect in Transcarpathia and Hungary as well. Secondly: You are not right when accusing the Hungarian government and the Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of “blocking Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration ” because of “loyalty to Putin”, because the Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance are the only ones who take a real stand for Transcarpathian Hungarians, a commitment that resulted in difficult conflicts. They do so because their humanity transcends politics and they are well aware of the situation in Transcarpathia, and the conflict is really about the language rights, and all the other acquired ethnic minority rights that are currently under threat from the side of the Ukrainian authorities. The “Revolution of Dignity” was carried out with the aim of taking the European way, instead of it we can experience that Ukrainian politicians are now escalating their infringements on our human and ethnic minority rights, and meanwhile, you, great democrats, right-defenders just turn a blind eye. It doesn’t matter for you that the Transcarpathian Hungarians have been threatened several times with physical aggression, our flag was burnt, or the headquarters of our cultural organization was bombed. These troubling signs don’t bother you, and instead you push the false propaganda that “pro-Putin Orbán is restraining Ukraine”?

It’s high time to remove the rose-coloured glasses concerning Ukraine. Ildikó Orosz very much deserves to be honored by the Hungarian American Coalition. I would be glad if you talked to her, so you could come to understand how unjust your accusations are. It should be corrected.

Andrea Bocskor

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Andrea Bocskor (FIDESZ) is a Member of the European Parliament. 

Andrea Bocskor (FIDESZ)

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