national populism and slovak – hungarian relations in - MEK

For God and Nation: Christian National Populismthe general public was able to learn about objective historical truth of the1930s and 1940s, this period began to be celebrated and HS¼S representativesand Slovak government officials of the period began to be glorified.Exile historians such as František Vnuk or Milan S. Ïurica played a pivotalpart in the process. In the 1990s, František Vnuk was a full professorof church history at Roman Catholic Theological Faculty in Bratislava.Cardinal Ján Chryzostom Korec made an impression that he sympathizedwith the wartime Slovak State and its president, which was apparentfrom his views and public statements already in the early 1990s. In July1990, he personally attended unveiling of Tiso’s commemorative plaque inBánovce nad Bebravou. Tiso’s sympathizers viewed public statements byCardinal Korec as unambiguous endorsement and moral support of theiractivities, this despite the Vatican’s reservations with respect to Tiso’s presidencythat were historically documented by correspondence of Bursius,papal nuncio posted in Bratislava.In view of Ján Chryzostom Korec’s moral authority that resulted fromhis long-term persecution by the communist regime and his strongly anticommunistprofile, the process of relativizing the regime of the wartimeSlovak State began even before all facts about it could be openly presentedand objectively evaluated.The efforts by communist historiography to use President Tiso’s occupationalbackground for the purpose of anti-church propaganda graduallybecame counterproductive. 8 The expedient evaluation Jozef Tiso’s politicalactivity from the outset of his long political career and presenting himexclusively in the negative light has led to equally expedient endeavour toportray him as the martyr of Czech centralism or even rising communism.In recent years, the endeavour to amalgamate national and Christianprinciples was led by Ján Sokol, Trnava Archbishop emeritus. Besidesattending political rallies organized by Slovenská pospolitos, a politicalparty that has been banned in the meantime on account of its racist background,Sokol repeatedly made excusatory comments on Jozef Tiso forbroadcast as well as print media.It was Sokol’s public statements that stirred public opinion the most.During the Christmas season of 2006 he spoke for TA3 news television,recollecting the times of plenty in Slovakia during World War II. Sokolattributed the fact that the Slovaks “lived on a reasonable level” to goodwork of President Jozef Tiso. His tactless overlooking of deportations createda furore on the part of civil society leaders. Others interpreted it asmoral endorsement of national populism tendencies from the highest places.National Populism and Slovak – Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006 – 2009. Forum Minority Research Institute Šamorín – Somorja, 2009225