The Hungarian–Mexican Nexus: The Reconnection in 1974 and Its Evolution

2016

This paper examines the contacts, mainly diplomatic ones, which were established between Central American states and Hungary in the period between 1945 and 1995. The general context used for this study is that of Hungarian-Latin American relations, and the point of view is essentially Hungarian. The analysis is based on documents compiled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which are currently located in the Hungarian National Archive. In order to underline the dominant trends in the system of relations mentioned above, the period of study of 50 years will be subdivided into five different stages as follows, notwithstanding the simplifications this may imply: 1) 1945-1948: characterised by a reduced possibility of action for Hungary and some fruitless attempts of opening towards Latin America; 2) 1948-1959: the integration of Hungary into the Soviet Bloc and its adjustment to the foreign policy of the Soviet Union, which claimed to be internationalist, but which in fact showed little interest in the Latin American subcontinent; 3) 1960-1979: increasing attention on Latin America due to the events in Cuba; 4) 1980-1989: specific interest in Central America because of the armed conflicts, in particular due to the Sandinista government in Nicaragua; 5) 1990-1995: the 'European introversion' of Hungary. The hypothesis is that Hungary pursued both economic and political goals in Latin America, but as the former did not materialise, Hungarian foreign policy depended to a great extent on political considerations. When these latter conditions disappeared in 1990 with the change of regime, the interest in Central America and in the subcontinent more generally vanished.

2020

This book is the fruit of the conference Latin America and Hungary - Cultural Ties, held in Budapest. The 14 essays in this volume –written partly in English and partly in Spanish– range from the 19th to the beginning of the 21st century, and follow the movement of people and ideas across the Atlantic, from Hungary to Latin America and vice-versa. Of course, ideas do not travel alone; the human mind is necessary to create, transform and apply them. Encompassing a wide range of arts, migration movements and individuals, the book is meant as a resource for cultural diplomacy. Este libro es el resultado de la conferencia América Latina y Hungría - Contactos culturales, celebrada en Budapest. Los 14 ensayos del volumen -elaborados algunos en inglés y otros en español- van desde el siglo XIX hasta principios del XXI, y examinan el movimiento de personas e ideas a través del Atlántico, en este caso de Hungría hacia América Latina, y viceversa. Naturalmente, las ideas no viajan solas; la mente humana es la que las forma, las transforma y las aplica. El libro abarca una amplia gama de artes, personajes y movimientos migratorios, y pretende con ello ser un recurso para la diplomacia cultural.

If someone consulted the headlines of the foreign newspapers lately, could notice that Hungary has turned from a country famous for its hospitality, good wines, great cuisine and beautiful women into an authoritarian, ‘illiberal’ and Russophile state. Over the last years Hungary has been investing more and more in the promotion of its national culture and values abroad, using the soft policy tools provided by cultural diplomacy. The accession to the EU and later to the Schengen zone, culminating with taking on the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2011, have lead to the broadening of the Hungarian ‘cultural export’. However, recently due to some foreign policy decisions and orientations, labelled as controversial in the eyes of the Western public opinion, such as more open Euro scepticism, diplomatic scandal with the U.S.A., or rapprochement with the Russian ‘comrade’, Hungary has become the black sheep of the EU. The aim of this article is to investigate the current Hungarian foreign policy trend, identifying four directions of analysis: 1) Hungarian-Romanian foreign policy and diplomacy nexus; 2) Hungarian-European foreign policy and diplomacy nexus; 3) Hungarian-American foreign policy and diplomacy nexus; 4) Hungarian-Russian foreign policy and diplomacy nexus. It is rather bewildering how can be attuned the country’s present foreign policy aspirations with its declared long-term cultural diplomatic strategy. Is the Hungarian leadership sacrificing the European values on the shallow altar of self-interests or can we speak about calculated foreign policy decisions and orientations meant to assure the welfare of the Hungarian nation? These are just a few of the inquiries to which the study desires to respond.

Ad Americam, 2018

Polish-Mexican relations on the political, economic, cultural and scientific levels have developed over the years. The first political contacts between our two countries, after Poland regained its independence, were established in the 1920s. However, interstate contacts have not been developed on a larger scale. the first, historic visit at the highest level of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, took place in Mexico. It was a positive manifestation of the need to strengthen relations at the highest level and to testify the political will to intensify Poland's relations with Mexico. In the second decade of the 21st century, we can say about a "new opening" in Polish-Mexican relations. This manifests itself in both political and economic as well as cultural and scientific contacts. This article shows the most important manifestations of Poland's relations with Mexico in the first and second decade of the 21st century with some references to previous years.

Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, 2020

After the fall of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence, communist Hungary had struggled to break out of diplomatic isolation. The government formed by Secretary General of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party János Kádár had not been recognized by the Western powers, including the United States of America. American- Hungarian bilateral relations, therefore, were rather strained, and before the restitution of Hungary’s full status in the United Nations Organization, the US minimized the communication between the two countries. To change this, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Service working under the aegis of the Ministry of Internal Affairs endeavored to engage expatriates—more or less famous or well-known professionals who still had some family connection to Hungary—as amateur gobetweens and semi-assets in order to find channels of communication with the American political elite and thus, via personal diplomacy, foster better relations b...

Hungarian Cultural Studies, 2016

1966, the tenth anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, was a key year in US–Hungarian relations. Diplomatic relations were raised from the lowest to the highest level, but suspicion and tension remained. Neither side knew what to expect from the other on account of the anniversary, the Vietnam War, economic and cultural negotiations, and the fate of Cardinal Mindszenty. A traditional diplomatic historical approach is supplemented here with cultural materials to present the full scale of contacts ranging from high political issues to the visit of Hollywood movie star Kirk Douglas in Budapest. First Secretary of the Legation for Press and Cultural Affairs Edward Alexander receives special attention, because he played a crucial role in the events of 1966. As press secretary, he helped calm Hungarian fears over what American journalists might report about the anniversary, while as cultural affairs officer he worked on documenting and expanding American cultural presence in Hungary. In the ...

POLITICS IN CENTRAL EUROPE, 2020

This paper seeks to provide an overview of Hungary's foreign policy priorities since the change of the political system of 1989-90. It intends to critically analyse the rise of pragmatism, in particular, in the new policy chapters of the 'Turn towards the East' and the 'Opening to the South', while it also looks at the international system itself with its recent developments and how Hungary has behaved in relation to them. Focal attention will be given to certain regions of the world, together with some global issues such as China, Turkey, Russia and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the ongoing refugee crisis and climate change.

2008

The topic of this thesis is the Hungarian-American Claims Settlement of 1973 and the negotiations that led to its conclusion. It starts out with a survey of the main phases in Hungarian foreign policy in the twentieth century and the five most important problems in Hungarian-American relations after the Revolution of 1956. The thesis examines the process of the improvement of the relations of the two countries focusing mainly on primary sources.

2022

This study aims to explore Hungarian–Yugoslav diplomatic relations in the first phase of the disintegration of the second Yugoslav state through relevant documents from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accounts from the contemporary Hungarian press. The study mainly focuses on relations between the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Except for Serbia, diplomatic relations between Hungary and the other Yugoslav republics were not taken into consideration due to length constraints. The study also examines Budapest’s diplomatic activities with the great powers regarding the Yugoslav question.