Hungarian Prime Minister's 'Imperialism' Scarf Controversy Around Neck... Ukraine Protests

Territorial Map of the 19th Century Austro-Hungarian Empire
Ukraine, Romania Demand Apology... "Unacceptable"

[Image source= Twitter]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A photo of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n wearing a scarf depicting a map of the 19th-century Austro-Hungarian Empire has sparked backlash from neighboring countries such as Ukraine and Romania. The map on the scarf shows parts of Ukraine and Romania as Hungarian territory, drawing criticism for provoking diplomatic friction amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to the British BBC on the 22nd (local time), Prime Minister Orb?n posted a photo on social media on the 20th, during a football match between Hungary and Greece, showing him encouraging Hungarian football players while wearing a scarf featuring the map of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following this, official protests were lodged by the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Hungary.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire depicted on the scarf refers to the empire that ruled most of Eastern Europe from the early 19th century until before World War I. It governed the entirety of present-day Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, as well as parts of Romania and Ukraine, making it an empire seven times larger than current Hungarian territory.

Oleh Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strongly protested, stating, "Prime Minister Orb?n’s actions are unacceptable, and we will summon the Hungarian ambassador to Kyiv." He added, "Hungary’s 'revisionist' ideology does not help the development of relations between Ukraine and Hungary at all and is inconsistent with European political principles."

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement protesting, saying, "Romania cannot accept any expression of revisionism that contradicts the promises between Romania and Hungary." They further summoned the Hungarian ambassador to Romania to convey a firm opposition to Prime Minister Orb?n’s actions.

The revisionist ideology is advocated by far-right nationalist groups in Europe who seek to reclaim territories that were once part of their countries. Prime Minister Orb?n, a representative right-wing nationalist politician, has consistently emphasized the restoration of past territories and glory.

In response to the protests from both countries, Orb?n defended himself by saying, "Every place where Hungarians live is a Hungarian team," and "Football is not politics. It should be seen as it is." He emphasized that about 1.2 million Hungarians live in Romania and about 150,000 in western Ukraine. However, both countries view Orb?n’s actions as a subtle assertion of ethnic identity and a desire to reclaim former territories by the far-right politician.

Meanwhile, Orb?n is a leading far-right politician in Europe who has been in power in Hungary for over 12 years. Before the war in Ukraine, he openly showed pro-Russian and pro-Putin tendencies. He has been actively pursuing anti-immigration policies and was dubbed the "Donald Trump of Europe." He has clashed with the EU over human rights issues such as media control and discrimination against sexual minorities. Since the war in Ukraine, he has consistently opposed EU sanctions against Russia, causing friction with neighboring countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.