ZAGREB, May 8, 2020 – Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman on Thursday commented on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Facebook post of a Great Hungary map which includes a part of Croatia, saying the two countries had excellent relations and that territorial claims were unthinkable in the EU.
“Generally, any territorial claims in the European Union are unthinkable as all states recognised each other,” Grlić Radman said, adding that “the border between Hungary and Croatia has always been known.”
“The existence of historical maps which can be bought in an antique store, and not sought in a closet, doesn’t reflect reality and, in a way, they divert attention from real life topics, which is building a future together.”
The minister was referring to Croatian President Zoran Milanovic’s condemnation of Orban’s post in which he said that “Closets in most European countries keep similar contents hidden”, calling on young people not to share such posts on social media.
Grlić Radman said Croatia and Hungary had excellent relations, as evidenced by the protection of each other’s minorities and tourism, adding that Hungary had been among the first to recognise Croatia and that more than 50 Hungarians were killed in the Homeland War.
Orban has been extending best wishes to Hungarian students ahead of school leaving exams for several days now on his Facebook page and on Wednesday, before a history exam, he published a historical map of Hungary that includes portions of Croatian territory.
This map is frequently used in Hungary’s popular culture, notably at rallies of the far right, and can also be seen on Hungarian cars during the summer in Croatia.
The map refers to the Kingdom of Hungary before the signing of the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, whereby Hungarians lost about two thirds of their territory. For that reason, they consider the peace treaty a national tragedy.
Orban posted the map in the past as well and during a previous term in office he declared June 4, the anniversary of the treaty, a day of national unity, according to Reuters.
His latest Facebook post, shared almost 1,000 times, has been criticised by many inhabitants of Romania as the Great Hungary map includes a portion of its territory too.
More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.
