A fresh diplomatic dispute has emerged between Hungary and Slovakia after Prime Minister Péter Magyar made remarks about Hungary’s historical situation during a speech marking the Day of National Cohesion.
Speaking on Budapest’s Kossuth Square on Thursday, Magyar said Hungary was “perhaps the only country in the world that borders itself”, a reference commonly used in discussions about Hungarian communities living beyond the country’s current borders following the 1920 Treaty of Trianon.
According to Új Szó, the comments triggered a response from Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, who accused the Hungarian prime minister in a Facebook post of promoting a historical interpretation that could call into question internationally recognised borders.
Remarks made during Trianon commemoration
During the National Cohesion Day ceremony, which commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Trianon and the loss of roughly two-thirds of Hungary’s territory after the First World War, Magyar stressed the importance of maintaining strong relations with neighbouring countries.
He argued that Hungary should be a reliable partner and ally in the region, adding that this was especially important because Hungary was “perhaps the only country in the world that borders itself”.
The prime minister also said that dialogue with several regional partners, including the Visegrád Group, had deteriorated in recent years and should be rebuilt.
Slovak minister rejects statement
In a statement issued by Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry, Blanár firmly rejected Magyar’s comments.
“No, Mr Prime Minister of Hungary,” he said. “Your borders, and therefore ours, were clearly established by the Trianon peace negotiations after the First World War and reaffirmed after the Second World War, when Hungary was on the defeated side.”
The Slovak foreign minister stressed that Slovakia rejects any questioning of its borders, territorial integrity or sovereignty.
He added that friendly and constructive relations between Hungary and Slovakia could only continue without what he described as “false irredentist tones” and attempts to challenge historical facts.
Beneš decrees also raised in speech
Another sensitive issue mentioned by Magyar concerned the Beneš decrees, a series of post-war measures that affected ethnic Hungarians and Germans in former Czechoslovakia.
The Hungarian prime minister said Hungary must stand up for ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia who, according to him, still face property confiscations based on the decrees. He claimed that such cases continue to occur and criticised legislation that prevents the decrees from being challenged.
These remarks were also noted in Slovak media coverage of the speech.
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A phrase that has sparked controversy before
The expression that Hungary “borders itself” is not new in Hungarian political discourse and has been used by politicians across the political spectrum when referring to Hungarian communities living in neighbouring countries.
According to Slovak media reports, similar wording has previously caused diplomatic tensions between Budapest and Bratislava. In 2010, then Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák also criticised the phrase, according to Telex.
Despite the strong reaction to Magyar’s comments, Slovak officials did not object this time to his use of the term “Felvidék” (Upper Hungary), which has also been a recurring source of controversy in bilateral relations.
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