The European Union now has a greater tear in its structure. Hungary and Slovakia have now been joined by the Czech Republic (Czechia), representing a serious problem since in the past the Czechs were very helpful in Ukraine’s war effort, particularly in munitions.
On Thursday, Europe agreed to a loan of 90 billion euros over the next two years interest free supported by the budget of the European Union member states. Three countries Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic opted out.
The most bizarre aspect of global politics is that any new elected leader of a country seems capable of dynamically changing that country’s politics. That allegedly democratic maxim does not apply to Hungary because the culture of that country has been authoritarian and imperialistic for centuries. Hungary after all was a fervent collaborator of Adolph Hitler.
It is not unusual for a leader to remain with almost absolute power for as long as the fifteen years that Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has been in control. Since the uprising in 1956 there has not been a popular revolution in Hungary. Society is acclimated to regimes. Even the Ukrainian community in Hungary is mostly subservient. It is fed scraps by the ruling tregime to maintain the status quo.
I had the opportunity to travel with a Hungarian delegation in July 2017 as we travelled from the Ukrainian city of Lviv to Ivano Frankivsk, a Ukrainian city that is near the Carpathian mountains and the Ukrainian region of Trans Carpathia where many Hungarian people had settled at the beginning of World War 2 as that region was given to Hungary by Hitler in consideration of their collaboration.
That is a topic for another essay. In any event the delegation and I were guests of a friend of mine who happened to be an honorary consul of Hungary. In any event the delegation was very arrogant and it did not take much to get me involved. We often had spirited discourse on the subject of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia and even on Donald Trump whom I detested even then, but they revered. Interestingly enough we were travelling to Ivano Frankivsk because the mayoralty there had decided to erect a monument to a Hungarian poet. There was little gratitude from the Hungarian delegation.
Slovakia is certainly more moderate and friendlier to the West. There are two problems regarding Russia, the West and Ukraine. The state of Slovakia includes within its borders a sizable territory that is considered ethnographically Ukrainian.
There is a sizable Ukrainian community there. Slovakia does not oppress, but also provides little in the nature of ethnocultural programs. As to Russia throughout the period of Soviet domination the Slovaks were quite subdued, rarely raising their voices about repression. In fact during Soviet times Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia and the Czech part was dominant albeit not oppressive.
The election of Robert Fico as Prime Minister has changed the dynamics. Fico is very pro-Russian and anti-West. Mostly this is due to his authoritarian predilection. The Slovaks have been tolerant to a degree. There is a loud and active opposition which has even attempted an assassination of Fico.
Finally the Czech Republic or Czechia are the outlier and its joining this unholy triumvirate is a result of recent elections that were influenced primarily by the economy. The right wing populist Andrej Babis became the prime minister. America with Trump at the helm may have been involved. Czechs are very free spirited Bohemians. They are historically very anti-Russian.
The Prague Spring of 1968 was not an aberration but a true depiction of the Czech spirit. Czechs have been friendly to Ukrainians for a long time, including in the period between the two world wars when Czechoslavia existed as an independent state and now when Ukraine is fighting for its existence and defending European interests. It is my considered opinion that Andrej Babis is a very temporary solution to Czechia’s economic woes and therefore only an intermittent problem for Europe.
What does this mean? It means at least for the time being, but this is a crucial time, that Ukraine’s opponents if not foes at the EU have increased. Inasmuch as most voting requires consensus, Ukrainian membership in the EU is questionable. It is true that as with Hungary and Orban who are under heavy sanctions by the EU for authoritarian behavior, all rogue regimes may reconsider their behavior. Day one of their behavior as an evil trio was not hopeful despite the ultimate decision of funding for Ukraine.
Click here for more Op-Ed by Askold S. Lozynskyj on EU Today
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