In the village of Velyka Dobron in the westernmost part of Ukraine, just ten kilometers from the Hungarian border, 90 percent of the residents are ethnic Hungarians. At first glance, the yards and houses look well-kept, but upon closer inspection, many of them appear abandoned. There are hardly any people to be seen, especially men of working age.
"The mood here is quite sad," says 63-year-old Sándor Raty, who owns a carpentry workshop. Many of the residents have long been abroad, and he cannot find craftsmen to work for him. That is why he works alone in the workshop.
Raty says that the Hungarian prime minister has done a lot for the local Hungarians. But he also believes that the conflict with Ukraine that Orbán has ignited will not reflect well on Hungarians living in the country. "They will be angry with us just because we are Hungarians."
There are no signs of oppression
The multi-ethnic region of Transcarpathia in western Ukraine has been increasingly making headlines for about a decade due to the nationalist, pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán. Budapest claims that the Ukrainian state has deprived the Hungarian minority of its rights. And that Ukrainian nationalists have constantly carried out attacks on Hungarians. In addition, they are currently being massively mobilized and sent to the front as Ukrainians.
On the eve of the parliamentary elections in Hungary on April 12, these claims by Orbán's propaganda apparatus are becoming even more frequent. However, the reality looks different. Almost no one there complains about insufficient rights, there are no signs of actions by Ukrainian nationalists, and signs in settlements and on the streets are in both languages.
Many of the ethnic Hungarians in the region are afraid to speak openly about the current tense situation. Most people from Velika Dobrón say they do not want to get caught between the fronts and that journalists will distort everything anyway.
Statements about Ukraine are "offensive"
Mayor Ferenc Nagy has no such concerns and is ready to speak, but not about Orbán's policies. He says only that the statements in which Ukraine is called a "mafia state" are offensive, including personally. "I am not a criminal and I don't know any criminals here." Regarding the election campaign in Hungary itself, he says: "A campaign should show results, not insult others".
According to the mayor, the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine have not been curtailed. But he would like the Ukrainian language to be taught in schools for children of the minority with better methods - more tailored to the needs of non-Ukrainian children.
"Our roots are here"
However, the mayor is upset by the mood in the village. Previously, everything was going well - thanks to agriculture. However, with the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2014, things went downhill, especially after the Russian invasion in 2022. "Before, 6,000 people lived here, now there are only 2,000. The men went abroad first, and the women and children followed them." The mayor sighs and says that the most important thing is for the war to end.
Nagy tells DW about his son, who has been living and working in Hungary for years. He wants him to return to his family. "We were born here. Here are our roots and the graves of our parents."
In the last census in Ukraine in 2001, 150,000 of the inhabitants in the Transcarpathian region were Hungarians; today, even by the most optimistic estimates, they are only 80,000.
On this occasion, historian Laszlo Zubanys says that one day the Hungarians may be just a folklore landmark. The Ukrainian state improved the Law on Education of Minorities in 2023, but due to the war and the flight of many Hungarians from the region, the demographic decline of the minority can hardly be contained.
The important thing is to have peace
There are two political parties of Hungarians in the Transcarpathian region: one pursues a pro-European policy independent of the Orbán government, the other is closely linked to the Hungarian government and has a national-conservative orientation. Among the passers-by on the street there are supporters of both parties, but most of them would prefer not to talk about politics. However, all share their desire to establish peace.
Political scientist Vitaly Dyatchuk told DW: "Our polls show that most ethnic Hungarians feel patriotic on two levels - as Hungarians and as citizens of Ukraine". According to him, the Ukrainian state and Ukrainian society should do more to prevent minorities like the Hungarian from becoming "decoration". According to him, Ukraine should also talk about the Hungarians who fought at the front, and not only about the folklore festivals organized by the minority.