Blog Post Two: The Nation on Stage - Hungary Post-War

The national identity of Hungary is relatively new due to the immense changes the country saw during the Soviet era, causing outsiders to be seen as threats to Hungary's national identity. I analyzed Hungary's national identity in my previous blog post, identifying that language and religion as unifying traits. Hungary's language is unique due to its Indo-European roots and is shared by all people in Hungary, regardless of their ancestry pre-Soviet era. Roman Catholic beliefs are also strong in Hungary and are often represented in its government, reinforcing xenophobic ideals. This blog post will investigate how these components are depicted in Hungary's 2015 Eurovision debut.

"Wars for Nothing"

About the Artist

The theme for the Eurovision song contest in 2015 was "building bridges," and Hungary's performance reinforced just that. Hungary's 2015 Eurovision entry was a ballad sung by an artist called Boggie. The hymnal ballad was written by Boggie, Áron Sebestyén, and Sára Helene Bori, with each sharing their own opinions against the institution of war. Boggie is a known international artist due to her success on her first album in 2013, but she started her career in Hungary. Her full name is Boglárka, a name only used in Hungary, so she chose her stage name “Boggie” to represent the national language (MTVA, 2015). Her chosen title alone is a display of national identity, showcasing the Hungarian language. "Wars for Nothing" placed eighth in the semi-final that year and 20th in the grand final in 2015.

The performance

The stage is set very simply in the grand final performance, with Boggie and four backup singers all standing in place, while images are projected on the screen behind and below them. Halfway through the song, spiraling guns are displayed on the screen behind them, transforming into a lush tree full of life (The Eurovision Song Contest, 2015). This depiction is Boggie's visual attempt to enforce the idea that wars have torn Europe apart, but they can grow and prosper from their past if European countries work together. This constant theme throughout Boggie's performance makes the song novelty, as it is not about love or heartbreak and has compelling imagery that could be categorized as a performance gimmick. Her ideas against the institution of war also reflect Hungary's national identity due to the destruction the Soviet-era caused in Hungary.

Hungary was invaded during the Soviet era, and over 200,000 civilians were captured and sent to labor camps. During this time, Hungary's government was also taken over by Soviet leaders (Schoenfeld, 1948). This caused Hungary's national identity to be taken and significantly influenced by Soviet rule. Due to this, post-war, Hungary did not have a strong national identity, so it chose to capitalize on race, language, and religion to define itself. Boggie touches on this destruction and re-creation with the transformation of the guns into a tree, symbolizing hope for Hungary's future and Europe. Although the lyrics of her song seem rather depressing, "What steers the entry away from the notion of impending doom is the simple presentation by Boggie and her cohorts" (The Eurovision Song Reviews, 2015). The simplicity of the staging offers peace amidst the background transforming from guns to a tree, showing that although the change from the post-Soviet era was intense, simplicity in reinventing Hungary and Europe will offer a lighter path to unification.

The lyrics of "Wars for Nothing" are quite dark, from "A helpless soul, break a heart, kill a mind" to "Do you know our earth is a mess" (MTVA, 2015). Although these lyrics are cynical, Boggie hoped to increase morale for unification of Hungary and Europe through peace and prosperity in her performance. This was misunderstood by the audience, though, due to the mundaneness of the song. Carl Greenwood writes in his review of Hungary's 2015 performance, "An anti-war message is all very well and good but not if those listening have slipped into a light coma halfway through the song" (Greenwood, 2015). The slow ballad offered a powerful message, but many listeners did not appreciate it compared to the upbeat pop performances provided by other nations. In his 2015 rankings of the Eurovision song contest, John Lucas enforces this idea when he explains, "The message is noble, but it's all just a bit… preachy" (Lucas, 2015). He emphasizes the fact that the theme Boggie is trying to portray came off a lot heavier than the themes presented in other more upbeat songs. This detracts from Hungary's performance, weakening it and its message in the eyes of the viewer. Another review writes about this disconnect in performer intent and audience perception when it illustrates that "Boggie's somewhat understated and melancholy rendition reflects the uncompromising nature of today's still-localised conflicts" (The Eurovision Song Reviews, 2015). Boggie was trying to create a hopeful message through her performance, but due to the stylistic choice of a ballad to the intense imagery in the background, there was a significant gap in her intent and how the audience analyzed the song, undermining her message for unification and peace between European countries post-Soviet rule.

This disconnect is distinguished further in Boggie's interview done by Eurovision. She explains that "Personally [she is] easily touched by any human suffering and nowadays we have more and more of that near and far. The three of [the composers] would like to raise people's attention towards this issue" (MTVA, 2015). Although the audience did not perceive the song in this way, her message does reflect Hungary's post-war struggle to find its national identity again, focusing on the unification of its people through religion, language, and race. Her message however, conflicts with Hungary's xenophobic ideals against immigrants and ethnic minorities such as the Roma population. They are seen as "others" within the nation and are often discriminated against in politics and social life, which conflicts with Boggie's lyrics, "For having a face someone can't stand" (MTVA, 2015). Here, she is trying to show that she is against Hungary's xenophobia and believes that unification and peace between all people in Hungary would help establish a stronger national identity. She emphasizes this idea again in the lyrics, "Everybody deserves a chance" and "All the wars for nothing, it never ends. All the souls, all alone, hold them tight. All the souls, deserve a chance at light" (MTVA, 2015). She is singing against the current national identity in Hungary, hoping to change their xenophobic ideals because she believes that they are causing pain and suffering to the populations of "others" inside and out of Hungary.

Hungary's 2015 performance in Eurovision was pretty grim, although the intent was for it to bring hope to both Hungary and Europe. The artist Boggie created a novelty performance through intense imagery and lyrics, but with a simple staging to try and lighten the mood. She also touches on Hungary's national identity through the Uralic roots of her name and through the post-war destruction that Hungary endured after the Soviet era. She also brings light to her ideals against war and Hungary's xenophobic ideals to try and unify Europe and Hungary for peace and prosperity. Her performance left a searing impression on the audience and judges, whether it be her intent or not.

Word Count: 1350

References

Boggie. (2015). “Wars for Nothing” (Hungary). Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Vienna. Youtube.

Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdybVsBESQc.

Greenwood, C. (2015, May 18). Eurovision 2015 preview: Will hungary entry wars for nothing

see boggie join song contest winners? Mirror. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-previews/eurovision-2015-preview-hungary-entry-5696499

Lucas, J. (2019, December 18). Ranking Hungary's 17 eurovision song contest entries. ESC

Insight - Home of the Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://escinsight.com/2019/12/18/hungary-17-eurovision-entries-ranked-worst-best/

MTVA. (2015). Boggie - Hungary - Vienna 2015. Eurovision.tv. Retrieved February 24, 2022,

from https://eurovision.tv/participant/boggie

The Eurovision Song Reviews. (2015, March 6). Review: Hungary: Eurovision 2015: Boggie.

Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.eurovision-song-reviews.com/2015/03/review-hungary-eurovision-2015-boggie.html

Schoenfeld, H. F. A. (1948). Soviet Imperialism in Hungary. Foreign Affairs, 26(3),

554–566. https://doi.org/10.2307/20030134

National Self and the "Other" — Hungary

National identity is a topic that has been widely discussed because of its effects on the identification and belonging of nations. National identity has caused wars, but it has also created unity, making it complex and critical to understand in a divided world.

National identity has many definitions, yet they all emphasize the same core ideas. An article published in the Oxford University Press explains that national identity is based on "a named human population sharing a historical territory, common memories and myths of origin, a mass, standardized public culture, a common economy and territorial mobility, and common legal rights and duties for all members of the collectivity" (Smith, 1992, p. 7). This definition of national identity illustrates that people within a nation share location, historical culture, moral and legal duties, resources, and legal rights. These traits all unify people in one way or another. By sharing a location or historical culture, people often have similar ancestry or religious ideals. By sharing moral/legal duties as well as legal rights, people find that they share common responsibilities and political affiliations. By sharing resources, people may capitalize on the same product or prefer a certain product more than one from a nation they do not belong to. These things allow people to connect over commonalities and unify as a nation, defining that nation by these characteristics. The journal in the Oxford University Press goes on to explain that in modern definitions of national identity,

"Gender and age retain their vitality; class and religious loyalties continue to exercise their influence; but today, professional, civic and ethnic allegiances have proliferated, involving ever larger populations across the globe. Above all, national identification has become the cultural and political norm, transcending other loyalties in scope and power" (Smith, 1992, p. 5).

National identity is constantly growing and changing, and understanding historical and modern definitions are essential. With the modernization of cultures worldwide and the increase in technology, civic and ethnic allegiances have come to the forefront of national identity. This progression of cultures forces a modern idea of national identity, portraying that as societies change, so does national identity. The modernization of national identity also reminds that it can be used as a source of power. Historically, this was evidenced by war, but more modernly, this power is shown through advancements in professional and technological realms. European countries are excellent examples of this hybrid national identity.

Hungary's national identity is particularly delicate among those in Europe. For many nations, a unifying national symbol is the first step in establishing themselves; for Hungary, this symbol is "the Holy Crown of Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary [which] represented the conservative tradition linked with the kingdom of Hungary" (Csepeli, 1991, p. 9). This conservative symbol for Hungary is not only a way to unify the country but also a way to portray their beliefs and national identity to other nations. By depicting the Holy Crown of Saint Stephen, Hungarians are letting the rest of Europe know that they are still connected to their conservative traditions. The Holy Crown also connects Hungary to its Roman-Catholic influences, especially their effect on political life. For Hungary, national identity is also associated with common descent. An article in the International Journal of Sociology illustrates that "Hungary's rejection of immigrants and aliens was strongest [as compared to other European nations]" (Örkény, 2005, p. 10). National identity is based on unity, and one way that Hungary unifies itself is by common descent emphasized by keeping others out. This unification has increased xenophobia in Hungary, which may be seen as a negative aspect of national identity. However, it is a common defining factor for those residing within the nation. Hungarians believe that to be a unified nation, all citizens need to be truly Hungarian. This ideology reflects Hungary's beliefs of citizenship. In order to be a citizen of Hungary, one parent of the resident must also be a citizen, or a resident can apply for naturalization after living in Hungary for eight years. A resident cannot be considered a citizen just by being born in Hungary (CIA World Factbook, 2022). The extensive naturalization process and strict rules regarding citizenship reflect Hungary's xenophobic ideals. To be seen as a person contributing to Hungary's national identity, one must be truly Hungarian or have lived there for long enough to fully understand the culture, religion, politics, and social life. This ideology enforces the commonalities of Hungarian culture and keeps it from changing, which is also closely related to the idea of "significant others" and threats to national identity.

National identity and "others" are explained by Anna Trianfyllidou in an article in Ethnic and Racial Studies. Her article, "National Identity and the "Other,"" describes "significant others" and threats to national identity when it states, "Others differ from the members of the community precisely in these features, they speak a different language for instance, or they have a different dress style" (Triandfyllidou, 1998, p. 4). By her definition, "others" are any member of a nation, any member of a neighboring nation, or any member of a competing nation that differ from those within a particular nation in values, beliefs, lifestyle, or other defining traits. This description is vital in understanding threats to national identity and national pride. For Hungary, these "others" are immigrants from other nations, clarifying the country's xenophobic tendencies. Immigrants in Hungary are seen as a threat to national identity because of the recent formation of the nation's identity after the Soviet era. This new identity does not have as strong a foundation as nations whose national identity has not changed in centuries, illustrating why Hungarians want their citizens to be "true" Hungarians. The article, "Hungarian National Identity: Old and New Challenges," better describes this by stating that, "The rejection of "otherness" helps keep nationalism awake, whether it manifests against internal or immigrant minorities" (Örkény, 2005, p. 17). By rejecting immigrants and minorities, Hungary is able to solidify its national identity and pride.

Overall, national identity consists of defining traits of a nation, whether it be religion, politics, geographic region, or progression in the modern world. Such unifying characteristics allow nations to show their power and exemplify their shared beliefs. For Hungary, an important symbol, the Holy Crown of Saint Stephen, does just that. It exemplifies their conservative views and reinforces their power against "others." For Hungary, "others" consist of immigrants and minority populations. In order to show their power over these "others," they exhibit xenophobic tendencies to try and keep their nation purely Hungarian. By demonstrating their national identity, nations can stay unique and be prominent in the modern world.

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (2022). Hungary. In CIA World Factbook. Retrieved January 27, 2022 from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/hungary/

Csepeli, G. (1991). Competing patterns of National Identity in post-communist Hungary. Media, Culture & Society, 13(3), 325–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/016344391013003004

Örkény, A. (2005). Hungarian national identity: Old and new challenges. International Journal of Sociology, 35(4), 28–48. https://doi.org/10.2753/ijs0020-7659350402

Smith, A. D. (1992). National Identity and the Idea of European Unity. International Affairs, 68(1), 5-7. https://doi.org/10.2307/2620461

Triandafyllidou, A. (1998). National identity and the “Other.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21(4), 593–612. https://doi.org/10.1080/014198798329784

3 Minute Nation Briefing

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/4f7813_d169dc61d5054740be5bdb136d365e8e/720p/mp4/file.mp4