It is currently being demonstrated much in the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Many are calling for political changes. But there are also many who are not protesting, and they want stability above all, writes Boris Kalnoky.
It is, perhaps, in any country, but I think it applies to us in Central and Eastern Europe: are We, as a society, a little schizophrenic. There are always two of us. The a looks longingly to the West, the other wrinkles upset the forehead on its superior attitudes, arrogance, and – as this is referring to a page in us – sheer, unutterable stupidity. It is, perhaps, the side that dominates in the us.
You can find this Version of us, especially on the Land and in the hearts of those who are not quite young but not quite old, neither very rich nor very poor, who have families and a Job. Married women with children are particularly. These are the people, the Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, its two-thirds majority.
The other life, especially in the major cities. It is the young people, the students, the Unbound, young women the right to abortion is more important than being a Mother, those proficient in foreign languages and like to travel. When you teach the eyes to the front, do you want to see a future full of promise. You see them often on the streets: you can demonstrate and a lot – in Poland, in Hungary, in Serbia, in Romania, in Slovakia. To them it is not enough, if everything remains the same, and stability is the largest value for our other, conservative I – to them an abomination.
The “Urban” versus the “Folk”
These two poles of our societies has always been there. In Hungary they were called in the 1920s and 1930s, the “Urban” – urban elites – and the “Folk”. Both created culture, literature, music, art of lasting value. But in the West has always seen only the urban side of us, and ever will see. Only the works of the Urban have been translated into Western languages. Only urban intellectuals were after the turn of sought-after dialogue partner of the Western media. This is still true today.
Protests in Belgrade – The “Urban” versus the “Folk”
But for us, the popular writer, described the rural society in their works, lovingly and minutely, were always much more popular. We listen to the deeper voice within us, the folk music, the tragic love. In us, the eternal suit is mulling the song of the Nation.
Now if you look in the West mild interest to those of us who demonstrate against the powers that be. Perhaps, one thinks the are not messed up in the East. The Rest – the majority – are not interested in.
The concentration of Power
The fact is that A new Generation grows up that is for the “anti-communism” is not a reference point anymore. Your point of reference is the current “evil”. Somewhere you are right. The spirit of the future joy that prevailed at the turn time is long gone. Whether social Democrats in Slovakia and Romania, or Conservative as in Poland, Serbia and Hungary, whether critical of the EU or, as in Serbia, the EU deifying – the governments in our countries try to occupy all positions of power in the society and to the economy.
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Corruption belongs to the essence of the matter. It is a pursuit, far removed from the spirit of freedom, filled the people of the time of the change, the Generation of the parents of the current protesters. The children say today: We need to finish what our parents started.
Structural conservatism in the East
The Old will die at some point, a new youth grows up, and so the potential for change with hands to grip – but, unfortunately, many of these young people want in the Western EU-countries migrate that match your Ideals better, and where to earn better. This leads to a structural conservatism in the East of Europe. Our conservative, I will not run away, it stays home and is shaking her head over the jumping of the other.
Polls show that the governments in Poland, Hungary and Serbia have for the time being, nothing to fear. In Romania and in Slovakia it is a little different, the upcoming elections can bring change. Maybe because there’s no Conservative rule, the talk of family, God and country, but a corrupt social Democrats are without their own message, the do always have a hard time with the “people’s voice” in the country.
The stability is in the middle
The future is inevitable, and the youth of our cities, the Elite of Tomorrow, wants to be a country other than that in which she now lives. This new Generation, like the EU, but the EU does not understand you, apparently: she plans to award in the future less money to Central and Eastern Europe, and this will reinforce the tendency to emigrate in the case of other young people. The key to change lies in a prosperity promise for the young Generation at home, not in the promise of a better future in Germany or England. That you should hold in Brussels.
What relates to ourselves: We must not contend for with us. Our urban I and our rural Ego are two souls. But you live, alas, in our chest. We belong together, the Strut and the Resistive. In the middle is the balance we all want.
Boris kálnokys, Born in 1961, reported as a Hungarian correspondent, based in Budapest for the daily newspaper “die Welt” and other German media. He is the author of the book “ancestors ‘ land” (Droemer 2011), in which he goes on the trail of his ancestors, – among others, the Austro-Hungarian foreign Ministers, Gustav kálnokys.