Post on 19-Sep-2020
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