Serbian Nationalist Party Denies Historical Hungarian Ties to Vojvodina
The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has recently adopted a controversial declaration regarding Vojvodina (Délvidék), which is anticipated to be officially endorsed by the Serbian parliament in cooperation with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ). This declaration has sparked substantial concerns due to its historical inaccuracies and political implications.
According to an analysis by Délhír, one of the most notable issues with the declaration is the complete absence of Hungary’s historical involvement in the region. This deliberate omission seems to aim at erasing Hungary’s longstanding connection to Vojvodina and diminishing the area’s Hungarian heritage.
The document contains several misleading and false historical assertions. It asserts that Serbs have been present in Vojvodina since the early Middle Ages, a claim that contradicts historical evidence. In actuality, the Hungarian presence in the region dates back much further, with Vojvodina being an integral part of the Kingdom of Hungary for over a thousand years.
Moreover, the declaration distorts the roles of Serbian despots like Lazarević (István Lázárevics) and Branković (György Brankovics), who pledged allegiance to the Hungarian king and received lands as personal fiefs, not as Serbian national territory. It conveniently overlooks that the 1427 Treaty of Tata explicitly acknowledged the Hungarian kings’ authority over Serbia.
The portrayal of Jovan Nenad (Iván Cserni) as a Serbian emperor striving to revive the ancient Serbian medieval state is also disputed. Historical records suggest that Nenad was more likely a Catholic South Slav bandit leader who engaged in plunder and violence following the Battle of Mohács in 1527.
The declaration also misrepresents the Serbian contribution to defending Christian Europe against Ottoman expansion. While Serbs did participate in anti-Ottoman conflicts, they also frequently fought alongside the Turks against Christian forces, including Hungarians.
Criticism has also been directed at the VMSZ for its involvement in drafting the declaration. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that VMSZ representatives had significant input into the final version of the document. However, the VMSZ’s apparent lack of objection to the declaration’s contents has faced backlash due to its historical revisionism and disregard for the Hungarian community’s historical role and interests.
Overall, this declaration seems to be part of a broader initiative to bolster a Serbian nationalist narrative in Vojvodina while sidelining the region’s multicultural history and the substantial contributions made by its Hungarian population throughout history.
