It is the wrong goal for the Danubian nations to just rush into the European Community individually. A much better goal is to also work for the establishment of an economically self-sufficient, politically stable and geographically large enough federation of say 100 million, which by itself is able to fill the power vacuum of the region.

It should by now be obvious, that neither Western Europe, nor the UN or NATO can fill the present power vacuum in Central Europe and therefore they are not competent to resolve the problems of the region. History teaches us, that the Balkans became unstable whenever a power vacuum evolved in the Carpathian Basin. The wise learn from history, instead of repeating it's errors. We should learn from history, that the tragedy of Trianon will not be corrected and justice and stability will not be obtained, by maintaining the status quo. What is needed, once the minority problems are solved through autonomy, is to build a strong Danubian Federation, one that can be crystallized around the nucleus of Hungary, Slovakia, Ruthenia, Slovenia and Croatia, a Federation that later could expand to include Romania, Yugoslavia or even Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria.

History does not solve problems accidentally. Those who want a better future must first have a plan, a concept of that future. For the stability and prosperity of Central Europe, that plan should start with autonomy for all the minorities and should end with a voluntary federation. It would be fitting if on the 80th anniversary of the dismember ment of the Hungarian Kingdom, after the unnecessary and undeserved suffering of three generations of innocent ethnic minorities, we would start the process of rebuild ing, not a nation state, but the Federation of Central Europe.

Béla G. Lipták, P.E.