Romania Opposes Diplomatic Gift Depicting Historic Hungary
December 30, 2024
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Depiction of Historic Hungary on a map by Ignác Hácsek (1885)
Hungary’s permanent ambassador to NATO, István Balogh, recently sparked diplomatic tensions by gifting a historical atlas to several NATO representatives, including those from Romania and Croatia, reports Krónika.
The atlas, part of Hungary’s National Atlas series, features maps of the former Historic Hungary, depicting regions that were once part of Hungary before the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry described the work as a highly professional representation of Hungarian geography, with no irredentist intentions.
It presents historical antecedents and the spatial context of Hungary but does not explicitly mention Historic Hungary.
However, the gift has been met with strong opposition from both Romania and Croatia. The Romanian Foreign Ministry issued a formal protest, calling the presentation of the atlas “a provocative manifestation.” It emphasized that such gestures do not serve the strategic partnership between Romania and Hungary. Romania also reiterated that provocative acts are detrimental to the two countries’ relationship and that their shared history should remain a subject for historians, not diplomatic actions.
The Croatian Foreign Minister, Gordan Grlić-Radman, was the first to publicly object, expressing his dismay over the atlas’ contents. He described the gift as “inappropriate” and expressed his intent to discuss the matter with his counterparts in Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
The controversy centers on the portrayal of Historic Hungary in historical maps, remaining a sensitive topic for these countries.
This incident is not the first to stir tensions over Hungary’s portrayal of Historic Hungary. Four years ago, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s presentation of a globe showing Historic Hungary to Hungarian high school graduates sparked similar outrage in Romania.
The ongoing diplomatic fallout highlights the delicate nature of Hungary’s historical narrative in its relations with neighboring countries.
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