As Hungary approaches its parliamentary elections this Sunday, many in Ukraine are watching with a shared desire for a change in leadership. Viktor Orb\u00e1n, who has been in power for 16 years and has taken a strong stance against Kyiv, is the focal point of this hope. However, the sentiment in Berehove, a small town in the Zakarpattia region, is more intricate.<\/p>\n
With a population of around 30,000, Berehove is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Hungarians, where Hungarian is commonly spoken alongside Ukrainian. The community’s daily activities, from education to media consumption, are closely linked to Hungary.<\/p>\n
Some locals quietly express their support for Orb\u00e1n’s Fidesz party. \u201cOrb\u00e1n may not be perfect, but he shows concern for Hungarians everywhere,\u201d stated a resident named L\u00e1szl\u00f3, as he visited the Hungarian consulate on Friday to prepare for his vote. He requested anonymity, feeling uneasy discussing the topic openly.<\/p>\n
L\u00e1szl\u00f3 conveyed his disappointment over the worsening relationship between Hungary and Ukraine but commended Orb\u00e1n for providing passports to ethnic Hungarians, financial support, and advocating for their language rights. Despite the legal challenges in Ukraine, many in Berehove possess dual Hungarian citizenship, and Budapest has established polling places at consulates in the area.<\/p>\n
Orb\u00e1n has long positioned himself as a champion for ethnic Hungarians abroad\u2014approximately 60,000 of whom reside in Zakarpattia\u2014claiming they face discrimination in Ukraine and are pressured to conform to Ukrainian culture. Critics, both in Hungary and Ukraine, argue that he has exaggerated these issues to justify an antagonistic approach towards Kyiv and its western partners.<\/p>\n In the lead-up to the election, tensions between Budapest and Kyiv have intensified. Hungary has been obstructing a \u20ac90 billion EU financial aid package for Ukraine, which is crucial for supporting Kyiv’s military efforts. Orb\u00e1n’s government has also leveraged the struggles of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine as a means to impede Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU.<\/p>\n A leaked conversation revealed Hungary’s Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 telling his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that the treatment of Hungarians in Ukraine significantly influences Budapest’s opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, many in Berehove believe the situation is more complex. While some express concern over Ukraine’s language policies, particularly a law aimed at reducing minority languages in schools (which has been suspended in 2023), others argue that Orb\u00e1n’s claims of discrimination do not resonate with their daily experiences.<\/p>\n After attending a mass at a Catholic church adorned with a Hungarian flag, Nat\u00e1lia expressed a shared life between Hungarians and Ukrainians. \u201cWe worship together and celebrate both Orthodox and Catholic Easter; we appreciate it this way,\u201d she remarked, expressing her frustration over Ukraine being used as a political tool in Hungary. \u201cWhile politics may be contentious, we live harmoniously here in Berehove.\u201d<\/p>\n Some residents likened the sentiments in Berehove to the political divides seen in Hungary itself. \u201cLike in Hungary, there are those who support Orb\u00e1n and those who wish for an opposition victory,\u201d shared Art\u00far, who desires a change in government due to issues of corruption and its approach towards Ukraine.<\/p>\n Experts and community leaders have sought to clarify Orb\u00e1n’s support in Zakarpattia’s towns and villages through historical contexts. Berehove, known as Beregsz\u00e1sz in Hungarian, has a complex history, having transitioned through various national controls over the centuries. Despite changes in governance, it has remained impoverished and underdeveloped.<\/p>\n Conversely, Timbur Tomba, a leader of the Hungarian community in Kyiv and a critic of Orb\u00e1n’s government, attributed the Prime Minister’s popularity to state-controlled media. \u201cMost Hungarians in Ukraine consume state propaganda, leading to a skewed perception of reality,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n In Berehove, situated close to the Hungarian border, the impact of the ongoing war feels distant, with fewer local men being deployed to the front compared to other regions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As Hungary approaches its parliamentary elections this Sunday, many in Ukraine are watching with a shared desire for a change in leadership. Viktor Orb\u00e1n, who has been in power for 16 years and has taken a strong stance against Kyiv, is the focal point of this hope. However, the sentiment in Berehove, a small town […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7380,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[117,302,567,88,304,571],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-europe","category-uk-hungary","category-uk-ukraine","category-uk","category-uk-viktor-orb-n","category-uk-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n