AtÂtiÂla SiÂmon: The comÂmuÂnal elecÂtions in 1938 in CzechoÂsloÂvaÂkia and the HunÂgarÂiÂan polÂiÂtics in SloÂvaÂkia
1938 was a jubilee year in CzechoÂsloÂvaÂkia – the 20th anniverÂsary of the repubÂlic’s forÂmaÂtion. Although, instead of celÂeÂbraÂtion, the beÂing of not beÂing of the cenÂtralÂisÂtic CzechosloÂvak nation-sÂtate became the most basic issue of the year that is not beÂing arranged in the spirÂit of Masaryk’s ideas. FinalÂly the repubÂlic – although for great sacÂriÂfices – surÂvived the year ‘38, but it was only a quesÂtion of time when the flow of events sweeps it away. The necÂesÂsary source of studÂies of politÂiÂcal hisÂtoÂry charÂacÂter dealÂing with the first CzechosloÂvak RepubÂlic are the results of the elecÂtions of the time that thanks to the conÂtemÂpoÂrary demÂoÂcratÂic arrangeÂments and corÂrect elecÂtoral sysÂtem served as a relÂaÂtiveÂly objecÂtive backÂground at the analyÂsis of politÂiÂcal relaÂtionÂshipÂs. Since the CzechosloÂvak politÂiÂcal palette was rather strucÂtural, these results are perÂfect for assessÂing politÂiÂcal conÂvicÂtion of votÂerÂs.
The comÂmuÂnal elecÂtions in ’38 in the midÂdle of conÂtemÂpoÂrary intense politÂiÂcal and nationÂalÂiÂty relaÂtionÂships (in the lack of ParÂliaÂmenÂtary elecÂtionÂs) actuÂalÂly expressed the opinÂion of the popÂuÂlaÂtion on the progÂram of parÂties, and through this the relaÂtionÂship to the repubÂlic.
The comÂmuÂnal elecÂtions in 1938 were to 1990 the last elecÂtions in CzechoÂsloÂvaÂkia that could be called demoÂcÂraÂtÂic, even though only one study deals with the events and results of the SloÂvak comÂmuÂnal elecÂtions in ’38 (Bystrický 1992). This study tries to fills this gap, while it tries to anaÂlyze the process of elecÂtions and the results from the point of view of HunÂgarÂiÂan minorÂiÂty peoÂple in SloÂvaÂkiÂa.
Behind the good elecÂtoral result of the EMP the 20-year expeÂriÂence of CzechoÂsloÂvaÂkia’s exisÂtence of the HunÂgarÂiÂan minorÂiÂty votÂers is to be seen. This expeÂriÂence caused that for the majorÂiÂty of HunÂgarÂiÂan popÂuÂlaÂtion the arguÂments – lackÂing someÂtimes demÂaÂgogy and someÂtimes rationÂalÂiÂty – comÂmuÂniÂcatÂed by the EMP were proved to be stronger arguÂments than that sloÂgans that had been conÂtinÂuÂousÂly demonÂstratÂed (but not fulÂfilled) through two decades by govÂernÂment parÂties.
The conÂtemÂpoÂrary sources freÂquentÂly mentÂion that psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal impact that the „whisÂperÂing proÂpaÂganÂda“ and through other tools the EMP and the HunÂgarÂiÂan reviÂsion organÂiÂzaÂtions exerÂcised on the popÂuÂlaÂtion and that the HunÂgarÂiÂan party demonÂstrates as one of the reaÂson of such extenÂt. The hisÂtoÂriÂan should not miss this facÂtor, obviÂousÂly. These tools that exerÂcised impact undoubtÂedÂly exist, although in a genÂerÂal and conÂfiÂdenÂtial elecÂtoral sysÂtem their usage is rather doubtÂful.
In the autumn of 1938 neiÂther the govÂernÂment in BuÂdaÂpest, nor the HunÂgarÂiÂan politiÂcians in SloÂvaÂkia could preÂciseÂly judge the actuÂalÂiÂty of a posÂsiÂble borÂder reviÂsion. The averÂage voter received even less inforÂmaÂtion, and it is sure that from the sucÂcess of EMP borÂder reviÂsion was not expectÂed, it was hoped that the minorÂiÂty issue in CzechoÂsloÂvaÂkia will be arranged: the HunÂgarÂiÂans will have idenÂtiÂcal chances to get employed in state and pubÂlic sphere than the Czechs and SloÂvakÂs; land propÂerÂty reÂform will be solved; the issue of the HunÂgarÂiÂan lanÂguage usage will be solved etc. The HunÂgarÂiÂan minorÂiÂty in SloÂvaÂkia in May and June 1938 voted HunÂgarÂiÂan unity in these expecÂtaÂtionÂs.