Ukraine and Hungary

The key to relations is Sub-(Trans)Carpathia

Authors

  • Géza Jeszenszky

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ahea.2024.563

Keywords:

Hungary's relations with Ukraine, Transcarpathia, Hungarian History

Abstract

With the loosening of central control, the fifteen “Socialist Soviet Republics” started to (re)assert themselves. After the failed coup in August 1991, following the Baltic states, Ukraine declared itself independent. Even before that Hungary started to build special relations with its largest neighbor, and on December 6, 1991, signed a treaty with Kiev “on good-neighborhood and cooperation.” An integral part of the treaty was a Protocol on the protection of national minorities. That provided extensive political rights to the then about 200,000 strong Hungarian community of Sub-Carpathia, including education in Hungarian up to the age of 18. In the next decade, Hungary had most cordial relations with Ukraine. Due to the growth of Ukrainian national feeling, much strengthened by Russia’s seizure of Crimea and territories in the eastern border area, in 2017 Ukraine passed a new Law on Education. The new law restricted teaching in the language of a national minority only until the age of 10, above that making the required language of instruction Ukrainian. Hungary has been severely critical of the change, and retaliated by blocking Ukraine's western integration into the European Union and NATO. The conflict contributed to Hungary’s unfriendly policy towards Ukraine following Russia’s aggression in February 2022. Ukraine later modified the law so that instruction could continue in the languages of the national minorities. Since that change, there have been signs of a thaw in bilateral relations.

Author Biography

Géza Jeszenszky

Géza Jeszenszky (b. 1941) is a retired professor of history at Corvinus University of Budapest, also a politician and diplomat. He served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the first freely elected government after the fall of communism (1990-94). From 1998 to 2002 he was Hungary’s ambassador to the United States, and to Norway and Iceland from 2011 to 2014.  He was visiting professor at several American and European universities. He is the author of a large number of scholarly publications, including Lost Prestige, The Changing Image of Hungary in Britain, 1894-1918. Reno, NV: Helena History Press LLC, 2020.  jgeza1941@gmail.com

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Published

2024-09-12

Issue

Vol. 17 (2024)

Section

Perspectives on Hungarian Studies

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Copyright (c) 2024 Géza Jeszenszky

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