5th Monošter Forum

The forum was opened by the general secretary of CESCI, Gyula Ocskay, who recalled the history of the Szentgotthárd Forum and highlighted the importance of today’s event in terms of the development of the region. After the general secretary’s words, Gábor Huszár, mayor of Monošter, also greeted those present. In his speech, he emphasized the necessity of starting the Joint Fund, which is essential for the development of the entire region. The greetings were finally concluded by the speeches of the ambassadors of the two countries. His Excellency dr. Marjan Cencen, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Hungary, highlighted the traditionally excellent relationship between the two countries, while His Excellency Dávid Andor Ferenc, Hungary’s ambassador to Slovenia, praised the importance of the Forum, as the event creates an opportunity for honest and local community-based discussion. In his view, the foundation of good relations between Hungary and Slovenia rests on the strength of local relations, and therefore he encouraged the nationalities to preserve their national characteristics and to be aware of their role as a bridge.

The first panel discussion of the event was about the prospects of cooperation across the Slovenian-Hungarian border and the development of the border regions. After the introductory thoughts of Gyula Ocskay, dr. Aleksander Jevšek, Minister of Development and EU Cohesion Policy of Slovenia, shared his thoughts. He recalled his experiences at previous forums, in which he participated as mayor, and expressed his joy that he was now able to return as a decision-maker. After mentioning previous projects, he pointed out that the most important task is to increase the population retention capacity of the region, which is adversely affected by the current centralization processes. As a result, cohesion policy should place much greater emphasis on the development of border regions than on crisis management.

From the Hungarian side, on behalf of the Ministry of Territorial Development, Parliamentary State Secretary and Deputy Minister dr. Csaba Latorcai participated in the forum, who called the region a symbol of the announced new Hungarian territorial development policy. In his speech, he considered the development logic based on cross-border regional identities a direction to be supported. In his opinion, the people who live here now see the border location, which was previously seen as a disadvantage, as an opportunity, which reflects the essence of the new government’s development policy, as serious decentralization is expected in regional development. At the end of his speech, the state secretary highlighted the tourism potential of the region, which can be further increased with joint tourism developments. Reflecting on this, Gyula Ocskay emphasized the importance of territorial logic, which would result in the consideration and restoration of functional catchment areas.

Another participant of the panel was State Secretary Vesna Humar from the Slovenian side, representative of the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, who drew attention to the value and potential of bilingualism in the region. According to her, the cultural complexity and diversity of the region is a great treasure for both countries, and therefore the national minorities who possess this should not be viewed as disadvantaged groups. According to her point of view, it is fortunate that in some cases the local level precedes politics and decision-making. This can be observed in the Slovenian-Hungarian border area, and in order to preserve this, care must be taken in the future.

The panel discussion was ended by the speech of the deputy head of department dr. Lívia Balozsán, who interpreted the messages of Deputy State Secretary Péter Kiss-Parciu on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and presented the planned program, the technical implementation of which was entrusted to MURABA EGTC. According to him, the international agreement entered into force in May, which creates a legal basis for the Joint Fund. In his speech, he confirmed to his Slovenian partners that a favorable government decision has already been made on the Hungarian side, and that Hungary is ready to provide the funds and start the program.

The second panel provided an opportunity to discuss the development challenges and potentials of the Slovenian-Hungarian border region. It was moderated by Mátyás Jaschitz, the co-director of CESCI, who in his introduction presented the landscape of the region, the inter-ethnic relations, the social processes experienced locally (aging, employment) and the important institutionalization of the border region, which can be a great tool for further integration and the MURABA EGTC. Among the six invited participants of the round table discussion were Bernadett Balogh, President of the Hungarian-Slovenian Section of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Károly Holecz President of the National Slovenian Self-Government, Aleš Mrkela Program Manager of the Interreg VI-Slovenia-Hungary Program, Orban Dušan the Hungarian National Community of Municipalities of Muravidék Council member, Tibor Polgár the managing director of Westpannon Team Nonprofit Kft. and Tadej Ružič the president of the Muravidék Regional Development Council.

Firstly, the experiences were discussed, as well as the abilities and development opportunities were evaluated. According to Tadej Ružič, the biggest challenge is to stop the population decline experienced in the region and to retain the local youth. The prerequisite for this is the creation of jobs, for which local SMEs serve as a good example, but it is also essential to ensure the necessary public services. However, he considered it important to emphasize the good quality of life in the area, as the excellent natural features and good public safety make the border area an attractive place to live.

Tibor Polgár has been working on regional projects since the end of the 90s, of which the connection of the Slovenian railway was one of the first. Since then, other good projects have been implemented in the fields of tourism and renewable energy, but the preservation of biodiversity and water retention will play a greater role in the future. Compared to the rest of the county, the border area has a strong civil society, and the urban network cooperation of neighboring countries (AT/SI/HU/HR) is intensive, which is considered a great potential for further development. According to him, the region’s internal resources are significant, which made the region an attractive tourist destination. However, the region is at a disadvantage from the point of view of the availability of public functions, since the cities with a higher density of functions are located on the edge of the region.

Aleš Mrkela highlighted the social effects of the Interreg program, as local young people need services and cultural events. The Interreg program tries to satisfy this need, taking into account other factors (biodiversity, flood protection, energy, sewerage, etc.).

Bernadett Balogh presented the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK) department and its goals. In 2021, the Slovenian section of MKIK was renewed, and the membership is currently being updated. The aim of the chamber of industry is for businesses operating on both sides of the border to connect and together strengthen the attractiveness of the region. The president considers the features to be excellent, but in order to preserve this quality tourism should be preferred over mass tourism, which is based on the rural environment and closeness to nature. In her opinion, businesses in the region are capable of development if the policy provides them with an appropriate environment.

Károly Holecz also identified the emigration of the population as the biggest challenge, which results from the lack of jobs and services. According to him, Rábavidék’s regional development program initially focused on the development of culture and landscape centers, but the support of SMEs is also playing an increasingly important role. The infrastructural network of the region (condition of roads, internet, sewerage, etc.) is still incomplete in some places, their remedy is essential in order to create the conditions for a modern lifestyle in the region. In addition to the infrastructure, special attention must also be paid to human resources, since Austria attracts young people from the region, and the locals must be encouraged to assume their Slovenian identity.

Orban Dušan drew attention to the neglect of the region, as big politics only paid attention to this region in the last 5-10 years. However, the resulting seclusion also had its advantages, as the locals were able to preserve their identity and traditions. In the future, however, it is necessary to catch up with the region, but this is only possible with the involvement and representation of local people.

The next topic of the panel dealt with the potentials of the region. Orban Dušan drew attention to the region’s thermal waters and their use for district heating, which can also be a suitable tool for dealing with energy challenges. Károly Holecz emphasized the role of agriculture, the products of which and the culture associated with it could be disseminated with the help of image films and a website. Bernadett Balogh also argued in favor of creating a brand of its own that would be able to unite economic actors along the border. Points of connection can be discovered in the fields of tourism, agriculture and trade, and these can serve as a good starting point. Aleš Mrkela would use the introduction of the common brand to increase the tendency to cooperate, since currently each service provider wants to reach the most guests alone. At the moment, the Hungarian and Slovenian partners are still isolated from each other on the forums, but there are also good examples (e.g. Handicraft Academy). To this end, additional opportunities must be created to enhance cooperation and open dialogue. During developments, however, special attention must be paid to protecting the condition of the residential environment, so that they do not fall victim to the implementation of tourism development goals. Tibor Polgár considered the role of already existing medium-level (thematic) forums to be mentioned, which promote mutual understanding. He cited county-led umbrella projects, tourist routes (Iron curtain bicycle route, European Amazon) or increasing the energy efficiency of public institutions (Greenline) as such examples. In his view, building a circular economy or strengthening biodiversity could be common topics in the future. Tadej Ružič highlighted cultural events as the best way to train young people to cooperate is through sports and educational programs.

In relation to complementary capabilities, Tadej Ružič emphasized the cultural economy and similar capabilities. In connection with this, Tibor Polgár emphasized joint capacity development, since local governments are working with fewer and fewer staff, which will be a huge challenge in the years to come. With regard to small-scale local production, he considers the Slovenian side to be stronger – due to historical conditions – to which the Hungarian side must be able to catch up. The EGTC can provide appropriate assistance in managing these capacity gaps. Aleš Mrkela proposed greater utilization of geothermal energy sources and cooperation in the field of agriculture, keeping in mind the spread of bilingualism. In addition to this, Orban Dušan mentioned the hospitality experienced in the region and the unique culinary traditions, while Károly Holecz drew attention to the exploitation of common features (e.g. mills, language, cultural landscape) through the MURABA EGTC.

The panel ended with the presentation of specific projects. Orban Dušan presented the green project being implemented in Domonkosfá, which serves both climate protection and the development of local tourism. Károly Holecz emphasized the role of the Őrségi National Park, since the contribution of the national park is necessary for all investments. However, the lack of cooperation between the three national parks in the region arose as an obstacle. Bernadett Balogh gave an example of a project serving slow tourism from the regions of Lenti and Gosztola, while Tibor Polgár mentioned the Szent Márton pilgrimage route, which is suitable for uniting the region. As an example of this, spiritual heritage could also be made accessible and connected with hiking and cycling infrastructure.

The third panel focused on the demographic challenges, assigning a special role to the creation of an elderly- and youth-friendly region. The round table discussion was moderated by Dušan Mukics, editor-in-chief of the Slovenian-language magazine Slovenski utrinki. First,  Professor Emeritus Dr. Jože Gričar, coordinator of the Global Network of Associations and Networks: Retirees Developing Silver Economy, spoke, drawing attention to the potentials inherent in the retirement economy. In his opinion, humanity could gain a lot from the skillful use of the silver economy, but society is currently not prepared for what to do with the elderly. He emphasized that even when reaching the third stage of life, learning cannot be avoided, as it is necessary to adapt to the changing world. However, this also requires the involvement of the younger generations. In order for the elderly to prevail, it is necessary to publish publications such as the Seniors Guide, which lists the availability of services for the elderly as a catalog. It must be possible for all elderly people who are able and willing to work to reintegrate into the labor market. Digitization can help a lot in all of this, but it also requires knowledge to use it. After that, István Kovács, president of the Hegypásztor Kör community development association, gave an example of intergenerational cooperation and dialogue. The initiative operating in Oszko started with the rescue of press houses back in the 80s, but today, in addition to joint events for the maintenance of traditions and the preservation of folk values, it has become an association that strengthens community building and ties to the settlement and the region.

The round table discussion also created an opportunity to represent the younger generations. Ines Ftičar, president of the Muravidéki Hungarian Youth Association, presented the umbrella organization of the youth of the five Hungarian-inhabited villages. The association deals with seven thematic areas, which include cultural, educational and charity programs. Thanks to the support of the Hungarian government, they have a community square that can provide a venue for the events of the Hungarian youth of Muravidék. According to Ines Ftičar, the emigration of young people is not caused by the low number of job opportunities, but by the inappropriate choice of sector. In her opinion, the young people of the region mainly choose the capital cities, as well as Pécs and Maribor, as their new residences, where they can more easily find a job that matches their qualifications. The association also implements an intergenerational project, a good example of which is the joint trips of the Pálinka Association.

Another young member of the conversation was Tamás Kovács, who is also the director of Szlovén Vidék Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft. and a representative of the Rábavidéki Youth Association. Similar to the Slovenian partner association, excursion projects and sports opportunities are also popular here, but due to the proximity and absorbing power of Austria, as well as the impact of COVID-19, the existing relations have weakened. He sees the improvement of the transport infrastructure as well as the expansion of the cultural program as a development opportunity, and he also wants to strengthen the relationship between the youth associations of the two nationalities for the sake of coordinated activities.

The panel also gave the director of MURABA EGTC, Bálint Papp, the opportunity to speak. He highlighted the population decline experienced in the region, to which the nationalities are even more exposed, and all of this also affects the opportunities for economic development. There is both a labor shortage and a lack of quality jobs in the region. The project “Your future is here” served to increase local employment, which builds on youth, education and the economy. However, in addition to promoting staying in place, community organization is also necessary, in which the EGTC can be a suitable tool with its connecting role. Creating a caring region and a youth- and elderly-friendly region is important for MURABA EGTC, but for this it is essential to support grassroots initiatives. Such intergenerational programs were the city walks and the retirement university, all of which are based on knowledge transfer. The “MotivAge” project of MURABA EGTC, which was presented by project manager Mateja Kučan, serves to create an age-friendly region. As part of the project, a smart watch system was developed, in addition to which three surveys were conducted among the elderly. During the survey, among other things, work opportunities that can be easily completed by the elderly were collected, but they also kept in mind work based on volunteering.

By the end of the panel, it was clear that digitization serves the needs of both the elderly and the young, however, face-to-face meetings are essential in order to build trust and cooperation. To this end, the participants agreed that the Monošter Forum successfully contributed to bringing together the actors in the region, therefore they consider it necessary to continue the series of forums.