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Pastor: Relations with Peter Magyar begin from scratch, first meeting expectedly tense
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Elections & Politics

Pastor: Relations with Peter Magyar begin from scratch, first meeting expectedly tense

From N1 Serbia · (38m ago) Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The leader of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), Balint Pastor, expressed optimism about future cooperation with Hungary's new government led by Peter Magyar.
  • Pastor noted that while the initial meeting was tense due to SVM's support for Viktor Orban's Fidesz party during the campaign, he believes trust can be built over time.
  • He highlighted Magyar's commitment to maintaining support for Hungarian communities abroad, including citizenship and voting rights.

The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) is poised to engage with Hungary's incoming administration, led by Peter Magyar, according to party president Balint Pastor. Pastor, speaking to Subotiฤki maฤ‘arski radio, emphasized the SVM's long-standing practice of collaborating with successive Hungarian governments, a tradition he expects to continue. He views Magyar's pre-election meetings with Hungarian political leaders from outside Hungary as a positive signal of the new government's commitment to these diaspora communities.

We must try to cooperate with the government of the mother country. That is how it is now.

โ€” Balint PastorExplaining the SVM's approach to working with Hungarian governments.

While acknowledging the SVM's past support for Viktor Orban's Fidesz party, which contributed to a tense atmosphere during his first meeting with Magyar, Pastor remains hopeful. He stated that the relationship "starts from zero" and will require time to build trust. However, he underscored Magyar's assurances regarding the continuation of support systems for Hungarians abroad, including dual citizenship and voting rights, which are crucial for the Vojvodina Hungarian community.

It is positive that Peter Magyar, as the future prime minister, met with the leaders of Hungarian political parties from outside Hungary even before taking office.

โ€” Balint PastorCommenting on Magyar's outreach to diaspora leaders.

Pastor also touched upon media access for the opposition, a point raised by Magyar. He assured that the SVM, while not directly involved in editorial policy, would relay the message to the Hungarian National Council, which oversees media outlets. This indicates a willingness to address concerns and foster a more inclusive media landscape for the community. The SVM's consistent electoral success in the Serbian Parliament underscores its legitimacy and its role as a key representative of Vojvodina Hungarians.

The cooperation starts from zero: we had never met before, we saw each other live and talked for the first time then. It will take several months to build a relationship based on trust.

โ€” Balint PastorDescribing the initial dynamic with Peter Magyar.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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