I have written many times about Ukrainian-Hungarian relations over the 13 years of Hungarian Spectrum’s existence, especially since 2014 when Viktor Orbán appointed the 35-year-old Péter Szijjártó to head the ministry of foreign affairs and trade. Between 2010 and 2014, during the tenure of Foreign Minister János Martonyi, Hungary was on the side of Ukraine, advocating a peaceful resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and condemning Putin’s aggression against the country.
All that changed when Viktor Orbán became preoccupied with the small Hungarian national minority in the Zakarpattia Oblast, the westernmost part of Ukraine. This sudden interest in the region most likely wasn’t independent of Russia’s occupation of the Crimea. The suspicion lingers to this day that Orbán had his eye on a small strip of land in Ukraine, bordering on Hungary, where Hungarians are in the majority.
As a result of Orbán’s newfound preoccupation, Kiev became wary of Hungary’s intentions, especially since Russian sources revealed that it was László Kövér, the speaker of the Hungarian parliament, who approached the Russians with the idea of cooperation between the two countries in defense of the rights of the Russian and Hungarian minorities. Naturally, the Hungarian government denied the accuracy of the intelligence coming from Russia, but the Hungarian government’s rigid approach to the controversial Ukrainian language law of 2017 has certainly served Russian interests.
Ukrainian-Hungarian relations are again at a low point. The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmitro Kuleba, accuses the Hungarian government of interfering in Ukraine’s municipal elections, which were held on October 25. I should add that this is not the first time that the Ukrainian government has accused Hungary of meddling in the country’s affairs. A similar situation occurred in the July 2019 presidential election when Hungarian government officials, including Péter Szijjártó, campaigned for a Hungarian, László Brenzovics/Vasyl Ivanovych Brenzovych of Verkhovna Rada, who was running for a seat in the Ukrainian parliament. Brenzovics, by the way, lost.
The Hungarian government maintains that, according to the constitution, it is responsible for the fate of Hungarians living outside the borders, and therefore Budapest promotes their efforts to preserve their national identity. The Hungarian government also has the right to “enforce individual and communal rights of Hungarian nationals to establish local governments.” In any case, the Hungarian official in question, Undersecretary Árpád János Potápi, who has been in charge of national policy since 2014, didn’t visit the Subcarpathian region because of the election but “as part of his regular visits” to the region. Moreover, he has every right to campaign for Hungarian candidates.
The Ukrainian government contends that campaign activities by Hungarian government officials constitute interference in the domestic affairs of the country. As early as October 20, five days before the election, the Ukrainian foreign ministry made it clear that it finds the presence of Hungarian government officials in Zakarpattia Oblast during the election campaign objectionable. It accused Budapest of “political agitation” and promised that “it will do its utmost to respond to such cases in the strongest terms.” Earlier official requests to cease and desist were ignored, “which proves that the Hungarian side has some secret goal that is unacceptable from the point of view of interstate relations,” Kiev insisted.
The Hungarian officials obviously were not moved because six days later, a day after the election, the Ukrainian foreign ministry released another statement. It complained about “direct campaigning” for the Society of Hungarian Culture of Zakarpattia (KMKSZ) and reiterated its statement that the ministry is “deeply upset” over Budapest’s “brazen interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine.” The Ukrainians also objected to Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook messages, which included words of congratulations to KMKSZ on its strong showing, which will ensure a robust presence in the Zakarpattia Oblast Council. He expressed satisfaction over the success of Zoltán Babják/Babiak, who retained his position as mayor of Berehove/Beregszász. Soon afterward, Ukraine prohibited the entry of two unnamed Hungarian officials. Potápi thinks that he is one of the two. He sarcastically added that “they are still looking for the other one.” The Hungarian ambassador to Ukraine, István Íjgyártó, was called into the foreign ministry, where he was handed a note of protest.
At first glance, all this might strike the outsider as petty stuff, but Ukrainian sensitivity, annoyance, and suspicion is understandable. Hungary, because of its objection to the Ukrainian language law, which will not be introduced until 2023, blocked Ukraine’s new special NATO status on October 30, 2019. The veto came, as media at the time noted, “hours before a Russian state visit to Budapest.” Szijjártó said at the time that “Hungary won’t surrender the Transcarpathian Hungarian community to geopolitics.” Although both NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the U.S. State Department tried to convince their ally, Viktor Orbán, about the importance of the issue, the Hungarian government would not relent. Obviously, maintaining his relationship with Putin was more important to the Hungarian prime minister than cooperating with his NATO allies and Donald Trump’s State Department.
Péter Szijjártó en route to Algiers
It looks as if the Hungarian government, on the anniversary of its first veto, is planning something similar. A casually dressed Szijjártó, on his way to Algiers, released a video on his Facebook page in which he called Ukraine’s decision to bar the entry of two Hungarian officials over what it called meddling in the local election “pathetic and nonsense.” By denying entry to the Hungarian officials, “Ukraine sends the message … that it has given up on Hungarian support for its Euro-Atlantic integration efforts.” He elaborated on his threat by saying that Ukrainians know only too well that they need the understanding and support of all member states, both in the EU and NATO. In brief, if you don’t play ball, you will never be a member of either NATO or the European Union.
Such recurring incidents should make both the European Union and the United States realize the danger that a Russian Trojan horse poses to the western world.
Once more, Eva advocating for Hungary to leave ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries to the Wolves. It does not matter who else may or may not benefit indirectly, standing up for the basic rights of those people is the right thing to do. The ones who ought to be ashamed of their position in this regard? The EU!!!
Na Zoliboy, still in the mode of the big Hungary?
This blog entry is on the right track.
The Active Measures arsenal in bottomless.
Be prepared for more hate merchandise.
Basic rights of Hungarian minority populations? “big Hungary”?? How did you get from that subject to yours???
“Once more, Eva advocating for Hungary to leave ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries to the Wolves.”
This doesn’t make any sense! The FIDESZ wolves do everything to damage the situation of Hungarians abroad by their stupid actions. And theses FIDESZ wolves have not the slightest right to meddle in minority rights abroad as long as they don’t provide these rights at home! Fact is that the FIDESZ wolves are even damaging the foreign minority parties they have taken over, no matter whether we look to Romania or Slovakia.
Trump, Russia’s & the Virus’s Trojan horse tries to stifle independent journalism in the US
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/27/928118147/u-s-agency-targets-its-own-journalists-independence
‘Voice of America‘….
Not anymore.
Read ‘’Voice of Trump Nationalism in America…Exporting Now to the World’. You’re Illiberalist. Well We Are Too. And How!’. It covers the world scene now as Fox and all the other reporters of propaganda and bs cover the home base.
And no longer will subjects such as human rights, and democracy be promulgated over the airwaves. It is an affectation certainly not top of mind for Trump-Republican minds. They’ll run around stupidly in the virus alright but don’t want to catch that political ‘cootie’.
The stance of the Orban-regime on the ‘interests’ of the Hungarian minorities in the neighbouring countries is absurd and serves only one interest; ensuring the votes of those across the border minorities, many of whom are don’t even speak Hungarian. The behaviour of the Orban-regime is comparable to the non-existing interference of the Maltese government in the politics of Australia, where, by the way, there are more Maltese expatriates than the population of Malta. Of course, there is no such interference, neither should be one. The Orban-regime somehow is convinced and managed to convince a sizeable portion of its citizens as well that it is in their right to interfere in the politics of those neighbouring countries just because there have Hungarian minorities living in those sovereign nations. And back to the primary reason of the regime; it is all to preserve their hold on power by enlisting ‘illegal’ voters into the Hungarian elections. It is not a tale, but reality, that at election times the regime is bussing by the thousands of those minorities to cast their votes even during municipal elections. Not that it is needed though, it is the regime that counts the votes, it is the regime… Read more »
One should add that the same Hungarian regime makes it almost impossible for Hungarians working in the West or just being in another country on election day to participate in the elections. This often has been discussed here before.
You just compared historical minorities, with migrant minorities. Thanks for sharing your ignorance!!!
Zoli
No such thing as “historical minorities” or “Historical Hungary” for that matter, these are only Hu constructs used to justify some special rights they claim for themselves.
BTW Orbanistan is slowly sinking lower and lower as we have been ripped off the apart.
Generally speaking a historical minority group is given special consideration, given that they became a minority on their historically inhabited land due to political border changes. See Germans in Northern Italy, Swedes in Finland, Basques in Spain and so on and so on. It is considered that they should have enhanced rights meant to help them preserve their identity. Migrant minorities on the other hand are considered to be willingly moving and ready to adopt host culture, language to some extent. Those who argue that there should be no difference generally do so out of nationalistic, biggoted, hateful considerations. Also Neo-Marxists who think the world should be homogenized into one mass of humans devoid of such identities, see such minority groups as an impediment to their dream and disagree with their desire to hold on to identity on ideological grounds, which is why we see Hungarian Neo-Marxists showing some degree of hatred towards ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries.
I agree with Eva that to a stranger that Orban’s excursions into West Ukraine would seem pretty trivial which is what I think they are. Neither have they been very successful and might turn out counterproductive.
According tho the Wikipedia entry TH has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place. I don’t believe that description fits. It is not a result of any trick etc but part of an all too obvious attempt at bullying a neighbour. There is, of course no invitation into Europe, Orban is there as of right and follows a blatantly anti European policy with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. It is difficult to deny that Trump, Johnson and Orban are pretty obvious Putin assets. Trump and Johnson may soon be removed but unfortunately not be punished. Orban is however here to stay thanks to the Hungarian voters.
“Orban is however here to stay thanks to the Hungarian voters. ”
The voters aren’t needed for that, this Orbán can determine alone. About 20% sheep are enough for endless power.
Budapest’s motives in all this are questionable (to put it delicately) and its relations with are NATO increasingly tenuous
However, there is one important fact which goes unmentioned in the post above: Ukraine’s Education Law, even in amended form, does actually breach the 1991 Basic Treaty between the two countries.
Ukraine’s language/education law is also counterproductive as it serves to antagonise Russian speakers who are by no means universally pro-Putin or separatist by inclination.
This situation is not black and white.
It was clear from the beginning that Hungary was not ready to come to some compromise. Both the Poles and the Romanians did come to an understand with Kiev.
Sorry, wrong place
Romania and Poland decided to allow Ukraine to trample on their ethnic kin in the interest of maintaining their Rusophobic positions. Hungary has no such inclinations, thus it is free to speak up in the defense of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. That is the difference. I would hardly call abandonment a coming to an understanding. Romania continues to condemn Kiev’s actions in this regard, just so you know. It is just that it does nothing about it. It still dreams of its Rusophob position yielding some significant territorial gains. The annexation of republic of Moldova is what they see as being in play.
The problem is – and Orban and Putin know this well – that the West and the US don’t really care.
Maybe Biden’s people will care. Let’s hope so.
But for the rest, Russia and Ukraine are far away and the top Western politicians are so pathetically keen to sell stuff to Russia (Merkel of course, Macron’s plans last week to normalize relationship with Russia etc.) that they will never maintain a long conflict with Russia.
Hungary is in fact Russia’s agent within the EU and NATO, no question.
As I mentioned, Orban is Russia’s best agent in the West since Kim Philby.
Although I’m sure Russians penetrated even the top echelons of many Western governments (especially Germany) with Orban (Szijjarto, Varhelyi etc.) Russia has a direct source in the heart of the EU and NATO. Whatever information Hungarian diplomats have access to will inevitably end up in Moscow.
But do the EU and NATO care? Sadly, I don’t think so.
Well I would say don’t expect more from Biden assuming he is elected, which I am hoping for. So I saw this headline in my news feed this morning https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/28/biden-vows-to-back-belarus-opposition-in-removing-lukashenko?ref=hvper.com . I said to myself is Biden claiming he will threaten to send the US Army artillery units from Grafenwoehr (in Bavaria where I was stationed in the 1970s) barracks to the border with Belarus or what? No Biden did not mean in any way he was planing on assisting the Belarus opposition in removing President Alexander Lukashenko really by using military pressure on Russia. Here is the quote from VP Biden: “No leader who tortures his own people can ever claim legitimacy … I will continue to join Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and the people of Belarus in calling for the peaceful transfer of power, the release of all political prisoners, and free and fair elections so the Belarusian people are finally able to exercise the democratic rights for which they have sacrificed so much.” Biden said he would put additional sanctions in place alongside European allies against “Lukashenko’s henchmen.” I am confident Putin is terrified of that threat, just as he was over sanctions imposed following the seizure of the… Read more »
No, not much more, but at least take CEE a bit more seriously.
I just couldn’t resist this:
O1G might more exactly called Putin’s pony – or even donkey?
Of course Ukraine is not always right but being under such a heavy unbelievable pressure by the Russians would make any government nervous and trying to compensate. I wonder what the Hun government would do in a similar situation, Austria threatening to occupy Sopron eg.
In other words:
The Hungarian minority in Ukraine will always suffer the most from the Fidesz crazy intimacy with Russia – even if some of those average joes may not understand the logic.
And now for the good news:
The Fidesz behaviour re Ukraine’s relations with the EU shows the other EU countries clearly “Wes Geistes Kind” they are. Of course many in the EU (politicians included) don’t really care, as long as the automobile production is running, workers are cheap …
The same goes for holidays (and women?) in Budapest and at the Balaton.
Wolfi, on the ground, the people in Zakarpattia Oblast would in large numbers welcome the adjustment of the border in favour of Hungary. They would all immediately become EU citizens and benefit more from the cohesion fund.
Aida, of course.
As the Fidesz saying goes:
We’re only in it for the money!
So why not take Ukraine into the EU and let Hungary leave?
Would be interesting I assume …
They already are if they opted for Hungarian citizenship. Fidesz EP delegation has an MP from the Oblast.
Correct! And money is purred there from the regime as well.
Yes, indeed Eva, but not all of the locals are eligible for Hungarian and therefore EU citizenship. More importantly the territory is not in the EU and does not qualify for cohesion funding.
To deal with Wolfe’s point: one must not equate Zakarpattia Oblast with Ukraine.
All Ukrainian citizens with some Hungarian ancestors are eligible. Even people became Hungarian citizens who don’t speak a word of Hungarian. The Hungarian government was so eager to get new citizens who will surely vote for them that they didn’t care.
This reminds me of a German joke. In the years after 1989 many people from Russia eg came to Germany claiming they had German ancestry. I met an old guy who still spoke German but many others, especially the younger ones …
So the joke goes like this.
The guy is asked how he proves that he is of German descent and answers:
My neighbour had a German shepherd dog which I often played with – that shows my connections to Germany obviously.
No doubt Viktor Orbán serves willingly and faithfully his puppet master over there in Moskva, Poisoner Putin. He has served Poisoner Putin policies in Ukraine and will continue to do so, no doubt arguing that he is supporting some bold conciliatory initiative while doing so.
If he is as successful with that as he has been with revision of Trianon over the last ten years, nothing much will happen, except for the occasional twinge from the boil on the backside of the European Union which might be felt in Brussels or further west.
Of course, the “Hungarians” – Ukrainian citizens living in the border regions with Hungary – also serve for the corruption of Hungarian elections and they will be primed and ready to go for 2022, when the time comes.
One wonders how long the machinations of this little dictatorship will be tolerated, rotten and corrupt as it is.
Bimbi, we all know that the EU has much larger problems to handle (and it’s trying to …) so these tick bites aren’t too important. As long as there is no war between Hungary and its neighbours who cares?
And as I’ve written before (more often than I wish) it’s not important what O1G does and talks as long as the basic idea of the EU, free commerce and free movement aren’t touched.
Of course that means that if you are in one of the groups that are mistreated here you just have to move. I heard of some gay people who just went to DACH – no more problems!
Totally OT but moving:
Just read a story from the longtime USA-correspondent of the German SPIEGEL – Marc Pitzke who has been living in New York City for many years. He proudly announced (in the Spiegel of cours …) his marriage – to an Afro-American guy who he’s lived together for several years already.
That’s the spirit!
@wolfi7777, 7:59 am
Please, what is DACH?
In German it means roof, but here it’s short for:
Deutschland + Austria + Confederatio Helvetica
Ah. So nothing to do with the little town north of München?
Totally OT but also relevant for Hungary:
In Germany right now a study was published that says that at least 15% of all deaths related to Covid happen because people’s lungs are damaged by dust particles contained in smog etc.
That might explain why the numbers are so high in Budapest, one of the most polluted cities in Europe.
My wife already said she doesn’t want to visit our young ones anymore though they live in the relatively clean Buda hills – just looking out the bedroom window in the direction of the Danube and seeing the smog over Pest makes her horrified.
So we try to get the granddaughter to stay with us as much as possible.
Well, add to the smog Wolfi cigarette smoking in Hungary, Eva has pointed the cancer problem in Hungary related to cigarette smoking before. There is also research being done on Covid and smoking see https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201014/Exploring-the-effects-of-smoking-tobacco-on-COVID-19-risk.aspx . When I have visited Hungary the level of cigarette smoking makes me think I have returned to the early 1960s USA.
My own mother died of lung cancer when I was only 16 years old, she was a pack a day smoker from the end of WWII on. A pretty horrible death for a kid to watch. Many smokers who I served in the Army with who have survived up to this point have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and some carry oxygen tanks with them everywhere.
Here’s a headline from today’s news:
“Hungary and Poland to counter critics with ‘rule of law institute’
(Countries seek to hit back as EU debates harsher penalties for breaking bloc’s standards)”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/28/hungary-and-poland-to-counter-critics-with-rule-of-law-institute
This is the latest wheeze by “Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister [who] has overseen laws attacking transgender rights.”
“It comes at a time when many in the EU would like harsher penalties for countries that flout the bloc’s rule of law standards, and debate is under way about whether to link the next seven-year budget to a “rule of law mechanism” that would deny some funds to those in breach.”
““We need to show to Europe that there might be an alternative interpretation,” said Hungary’s justice minister, Judit Varga.” That’s right, Ms Varga, that Hungary is now a deeply corrupt Mafia state.
““The aim of the institute is not to be taken for fools,” said Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó.” Right on, Peti. It is important that the “institute” be seen for what it is: a collection of rogues and criminals.
Bimbi, thanks for this not so new news!
“the basis of our society is the family, and the family by default the marriage of a man and a woman,” said Varga.
Of course, back a hundred years, and then burn the LGBT people, the heretics and the witches (of course the Jews too …)!
The PISsers and the Hungarian average joes might agree with this.
Thanks Bimbi at least something funny. The “rule of law institute” sounds like rule of war institute. I wonder if the rule of law or the lack of it can be proven with objective arguments.
I sure hope the EU can come up with them, because of they can’t Hungary and Hungarians will be screwed big time.
Now is the time, EU. Get on it.
Incredible.
21 ministers, and only one is a woman:
https://www.premier.gov.pl/en.html
That’s serious. Very serious.
It’s gonna be like the Federalist Society and I don’t think I need to introduce it.
Orban, the PiS, the CEE right-wing are playing for the long term, they have a vision, they are united, disciplined, have unlimited funds, and they will soon infiltrate the EU legal organs and over time they can take it over and rearrange it from within or at least cause confusion, disruption (ie. overturn or gut the foundational legal precedents).
It may take 50 years but like the Federalists unquestionably did, the “Orbanists” can easily succeed too.
This is an existential danger for the pro-EU liberals and I’m serious.
This institution will mint new Andras Varga Zs, Balazs Schanda, Peter Polt and the like by the dozens.
In Hungary, MCC a fidesznik/intelligence educational outfit is also working hard to create sophisticated fidesznik intellectuals who can work with Western counterparties (inside the EU or outside).
The right-wing has a vision, a strategy and tactics, they are pros.
The liberals must get their act together or they will simply disappear, they are literally in the 24th hour.
Marty
So far the creation of the “sophisticated fidesznik intellectuals” (somewhat of an oxymoron) has failed. The recruiting of educated faithful has not produced the miracles Orbàn imagined, eg. Ms Varga still cannot walk on EU waters. So the janissaries like Demeter, Vidnyanski, Z.Kovacs, etc. are the best Orbàn has found …
These guys will work mostly abroad or deal with foreigners here, and I think the fideszniks have been pretty successful so far in the West to the extent Orban can still steal as much as he wants and no punishment whatsoever was issued by the EU re Hungary or by the EPP re Fidesz.
What more can Orban possibly want? His diplomats are pros and he wants a new generation like them.
I meant intellectual in a broader sense, diplomats, businesspeople, media people, intelligence people whose job will be to maintain, help the Fidesznik power structure but in a more cultured, foreign languages speaking way, in a lower profile way.
What on earth are talking about? Orbán’s diplomats who are pro? In 2014 he got rid of most of the seasoned diplomats and filled posts with inexperienced party hacks without any diplomatic experience. Look around a bit.
OT
I’ve been trying for two weeks to obtain two doses of standard flu vaccine which we administer every year.
There’s none in the pharmacies and won’t be I was told as the gov sequestered large quantities.
My local MD has been telling me to call a couple of days later and today he said “they (ANTSZ) ran out of vaccine in the whole of Buda … we’ll get some news next week …perhaps”.
Don’t know Whether this is an action against Budapest or simply the chaos and corruption of Orbanistan.
Maybe it is being stockpiled in the hospital built into the tunnels under the Kármelita…
Maybe they have a doomsday cult going up there.
Exactly the same here in the very south. So it is at least not an action against Budapest, but we also have an MP from the opposition….
Perhaps the vaccination for every single Hungarian is the same as the ventilators bought in spring and only a few of them went through customs yet?
Tomorrow we will get our flu vaccination. I will ask if there is a shortage here. Two weeks ago the önkormányzat advertised that everybody could get a vaccination for free.
Where is “here”?
Between Györ and Pápa.
There isn’t enough vaccination material at the moment. Even here in Fidesz country. The doctor has ordered more, but it’s not known yet when it will come. I have read in a dutch newspaper, that there is a shortage there as well.
About Poland:
Incredible #1:
Only one of the 21 ministers is a woman:
https://www.premier.gov.pl/en.html
Incredible #2:
Her job description says: “She manages programmes aimed at people facing the threat of social exclusion”
Like the 5% of Poles (i.e. approximately 1,8 million people) who identify as LGBTQ and are being socially excluded by her own government?
After 2008 Poland during Civic Platform (PO) rule according to former polish minister of foreign affairs Radoslaw Sikorski was courted by Putin in the subject of future joint partition of Ukraine. Prime minister Tusk during personal conversation with Putin haven’t answered Putin enquiry and treated it as a Russian provocation. Have Victor Orban swallowed the hook?
Again: Orbàn was hooked in 2008, most Probably by the compromat obtained by Putin from hard pressed mafia boss Mogilevich. Of course there are limits to how high can Orban jump at the whistle..
The Americans used to call it “A piece of the action”.
In ’08, some internet-muscle and various (cheap) bribes were enough to secure lifetime “security-payment”.
What comes after is strictly investment security.
Clue: EU sanctions against Rus. oligarchs can be worked around if you deal inside the EU.
The outrageous hypocrisy and arrogance of this regime ! they have been attacking and bashing NGOs for alleged interference in Hu politics on behalf Soros, clandestine power, liberal elites, etc, but the same regime has been supporting, financing and instructing political parties in neighboring countries…
The “small Napoleon” Orban continues to exercise his expansionist appetite. It just adds to vast odium and despise.
Ivo
Right.
But pls don’t mention genius Napoleon in the same para with our provincial bumpkin, who is rather of the Ceausescu or Zhivkov “caliber” and as corrupt as Mobutu (Zaire).
The ‘genius’ that was Napoleon? That always makes me smile.
That would be the same Napoleon ultimately in charge of the Battle of Trafalgar, would it? When Nelson ‘didn’t let’ the combined might of the French and Spanish fleets win?
The same Napoleon that ‘didn’t quite win’ at Waterloo, either?
Nelson and Wellington (helped by Blucher) were just lucky, I suppose. Forget them, let’s concentrate on the ‘genius’.
You might as well say Goering was a genius too – in many eyes he was until August 1940 – except the Brits (aided by the Commonwealth Nations, Poles, Czechs and even some Americans) didn’t let that ‘genius’ win either, did they?
spoil sports, them allies.
Observer, Ivo has clearly swallowed huge quantities of half baked English propaganda about Napoleon. Not only does it serve no recognisable purpose now but even English scholars these days repudiate thIs old crap.
Go to Oporto, northern Portugal, Aida. And ask the locals what that great column is on the northwest edge of the old part of city. And ask them who erected it, and why.
I guess you are talking about the Duke of Wellington. Celebrating Wellington and his victory tell us nothing about Napoleon.
Your thinking is very limiled. Take a look at the other end of the pipe:.
Viktor Orbán, Europe’s Trojan horse ín Russia.
Re: limiled thinking
Q: Does Orbán have a veto right in Russia?
A: no!
Q: Is Orbán a servant of Putin?
A: yes!