CENTENARY OF“TRIANON”- MEMORYPOLITICSINORBÁN’S HUNGARY

ANDRZEJSADECKI

PHD CANDIDATE,CHARLESUNIVERSITYRESEARCHER INTHE„FATIGUE”PROJECT

PresentationatthemeetingoftheDepartmentofRussianandEastEuropeanStudies,CharlesUniversity.27April2019

ThisprojecthasreceivedfundingfromtheEuropeanUnion’sHorizon2020researchandinnovationprogrammeundertheMarieSkodowska-CuriegrantagreementNo765224.

CENTENARYOF“TRIANON”- MEMORYPOLITICSINORBÁN’S HUNGARY

• Roleofhistoryinpolitics andpolicymakingthroughthelensofcommemorativepracticesinHungary

• Case:commemoration ofthe100thanniversary oftheTreaty ofTrianonin2020

Main research questions:

• Howdoes thegovernmentemploy thediscoursesaboutthepasttoincreaseitslegitimacyandpopularity?

• Howdothediscoursesaboutthepastreinforcethegeneralnarrativesofthegovernment?

• Whatarethenarratives? Whoarethemnemonicactorsandhowarethehistoricalpoliciesconstructed?

• Whatarethe counter-narratives (counter-memories)and reactions towards theofficial discourse oftheoppositionparties,civilsociety, academia andtheHungarianminoritiesintheneighbouringcountries?

THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS

• Collective memory is socially constructed (Halbwachs 1925/1992),it’s nota„mystical groupmind”(Olick,Robins 1998)

• Interaction ofthree factors:1.intellectual andcultural traditions;2.memory makers.3.memoryconsumers(Kansteiner2002)

• Pastis produced inthepresent,thus is susceptive toinstrumentalization andmanipulation.However,mnemonic actors are nottotally free inconstructing historical narratives,they havetotake into account thevisions ofthepastcultivated bytheir audience (Bernhard,Kubik2014)

• Collective memorybothconstrainsandenablepolicies,asitshapesframeworksforforeignpolicyanddomesticpolitics(Müller2002)

• Two componenets ofcommemorative practices:1.semiotic practices (content ofmemorypolitics)and2.intitutional practices (formulation ofthecontent)(Bernhard,Kubik2014)

METHODOLOGY

Multi-methodqualitativeapproach:

• Discourseanalysis– analysisofthespeeches,statements,interviewsetc.

• Participantobservation– observationofthecommemorativeceremoniesandeventslinkedtothememoryofTrianon(eg. NationalUnityDayon4th ofJune,TrianonRockOpera)

• Interviews– interviewing(ifpossible)thememoryagentsandentrepreneursinordertounderstandtheintentionsbehindthespecificformofmemorypolitics

SUBJECT OFCOMMEMORATION

• Treaty ofTrianonsigned on4thofJune 1920

• Endofmultinational Kingdom ofHungary

• Loss ofabout 2/3ofpre-WWIterritory andpopulation

• 3mlnethnic Hungarians remained outside theborders

• Considered asthebiggest tragedy ofthe20thcentury,often framed asnational trauma Source:Wikipedia

MEMORY OFTRIANON

Survey byPublicus (2018):

• Acc.to74%ofrespondents say that Trianonwasthebiggest tragedy inHungary’s history

• Acc.to44%weshould never come toterms withdecisions taken inTrianon(42%say tothecontrary)

• Acc.to43%there is nosense todeal anymore todaywiththeissue ofTrianon(45%tothecontrary)

• Acc.to57%theissue ofTrianonis raised so oftenonly forpolitical reasons because it fires up nationalsentiments (28%tothecontrary)

Source:Publicus/Népszava

1920-2020– HISTORY OFMEMORYANDCOMMEMORATION OFTRIANON

• Interwar period– territorial revisionism (irredenta)

• 1938-1941– regaining ofterritories inalliance withNaziGermany

• 1947– Treaty ofParis:restoration ofpre-1938borders

• Communist regime– Trianonastaboo

• Post-1989– renouncing territorial revisionism,support forHungarian minoritiesabroad andgood relationswiththeneighbouring countries,irredentismmarginal.

• 2000s.– growing popularity ofthetopic ofTrianon,connected withtherevival ofthefar-right.

ORBÁN ERA (SINCE 2010)

• Introduction in2010ofaDayofNational Unityon4thofJune – rhetoric ofnationalunitybeyond theborders

• Declaration ofNational Cooperation of2010– creation ofanew NationalCooperation System„openforevery Hungarian (…)living inandoutofHungary”.

• Citizenship &voting rights forHungarians outside theborders (2011-2012)

• Newconstitution (2012)– references inthepreambule(National Avowal)toSaintStephen,Carpathian Basin,HolyCrown(„emboding theunityofthenation”).

COMMEMORATION OF100THANNIVERSARYOFTRIANON

• Fideszrefused tomake 2020the„Year ofTrianon”asproposed several times inparliament byfarright Jobbik party.

• FideszSpeakeroftheParliamentLászlóKövér suggests toannounce the„Year ofNational Unity”(March2019):tocommemorate the„Trianontragedy”andpaytributetogenerationsofHungariansfaithfull totheiridentityinthepast100years,butalso look into thefuture andcherish cooperation withother CentralEuropeannations.

• MáriaSchmidt(directoroftheHouseofTerrorMuseum,advisortoPMViktorOrbán,mainideologistofthegovernment’smemorypolitics):Trianonasforeigndictate (alluding tocurrent struggle against foreign foreign),blames lack ofstrongleadership (contrary tocurrent one),offers „positive”aspect – „Hungariansprevailed inspiteofTrianon”

WHAT IMPACTS THEGOVERNMENT’S MEMORY POLICIES ANDDISCOURSES ONTRIANON

• thegoalofmonopolizingthesymbolicsphere inthecountry

• competitionwithJobbikpartyforthefar-rightelectorateandthoserepresentingrevisionistsentimentsinsociety

• foreignpolicyconsiderations – impactontherelationswithneighbouringcountries.

DISCURSIVE STRATEGIES OFFIDESZONTRIANON

Norhetoric ofterritorial revisionism,butemphasis onunityofHungarian nationbeyond borders.

Examples ofstrategies:

• Calculated Ambigutity (Wodek,Forchtner 2014),eg.„Future is written inHungarian”(Orbán in2017toHungarianminorityinCluj-Napoca;Facebookposton4thofJune2018– anniversary oftheTreaty ofTrianon)

• Euphemisms forGreater Hungary,eg.Cartpathian Basin,SaintStephen/Holycrownlands

• Synonym forcatastrophy,eg. “TheongoingmigrationcrisisislikeTrianonforEurope” (FideszDeputyHouseSpeakerSándorLezsák,2.03.2019)

COUNTER-NARRATIVES,COUNTER-MEMORIES

• Opposition parties

• Academia

• Media(independentfromthegovernment)

• Artandculture

FRAMING BYHUNGARIANMINORITIES ABROAD

• Hungarian political/intellectual elites abroad

• Negotiating narratives ofthepastwithBudapest andmajority populations intheircountries ofresidence

Example:slogan byUDMR/RMDSZ(majorHungarian minority partyinRomania)forthecentenary of„GreatUnion”(unification ofTransylvania,Bessarabia andBukovinawiththeKingdom ofRomania)in2018:

„1000év Erdélyben,100év Romániában”

„1000deaniîn Transilvania,100aniîn România”

NARRATIVES ONTRIANON

Mnemomic actors situating themselves between two extremities:

• polarazing narrative:accentuatinghistoricalgrievances,sustainingthe“Trianontrauma”,reinforcingnegativeattitudestowardsneighbouringnations(as“unjust”beneficiariesoftheTreaty)andbringingoutrevisionistsentiments(revivingtheinterwarirredentism);

• conciliatorynarrative:accentuatingtheneedof“healingoldwounds”,endingthenationalmourning,self-reflecting(criticalassessmentofthecauses),directedintothefuture(eg. needtocooperatewithneighbouringcountriesforthecommongood)

MONUMENTOFNATIONAL UNITY

Source:Index.hu

TRIANONROCKOPERA

• Massopenair showonHeroes’Sq.inBudapest• Politics ofmemory inpopularculture• Semi-official character – private entreprise,butofficial patronage oftheDeputy PM

Main narratives:• victimhoodoftheHungariannation• struggleagainsttheforeignpowersanddomestictraitors

• returntothe“goldenage”undercurrentgovernment

Source:author’spictures