Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s scarf with a historical map of Greater Hungary was called an unacceptable provocation by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Tuesday.
Orbán wore the controversial scarf on Sunday during a meeting with a Hungarian football player. The scarf shows a map of Greater Hungary’s historical territory, which included Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Ukraine. Hungary lost these territories in the Treaty of Trianon signed in 1920, which is still a trauma for many Hungarians today.
“Europe has been facing its most significant security and economic challenges since the end of the Second World War. Unity and cooperation between EU countries are now crucial. The provocation by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is unacceptable,” Lipavský tweeted, adding that he fully understands the irritation of Slovakia and other partners.
In reaction to Orbán’s move, Ukraine summoned the Hungarian ambassador. Slovak Foreign Minister Rastislav Kácer also criticised his Visegrad ally with expressive words “Disgust and filth.”
Orbán wore the scarf a few days after Toroczkai László, a member of the Hungarian parliament and president of the Our Homeland Movement, congratulated Poland on Polish Independence Day by publishing a photo from 1939 that depicts two soldiers shaking hands on the historical Polish-Hungarian border, a territory that today belongs to Ukraine.
“Let’s meet again at the common Polish-Hungarian border!” László wrote.
Despite all these controversies, prime ministers of Visegrad four – Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary – will meet on Thursday for the first time since the outbreak of the war.
(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)
Source: euractiv.com
