Hungary’s PM wears scarf depicting Great Hungary with region of Ukraine as its part

In Budapest, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, came to a friendly football match between the national teams of Hungary and Greece with a scarf around his neck, which depicted "Great Hungary" with parts of neighboring states in its composition.

Orban himself posted this on social media.

The incident happened on Sunday, November 20.

The Hungarian Prime Minister allowed himself to be filmed and photographed wearing a scarf with a map of Hungary, with parts of the EU countries of Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Croatia added.

German liberal politician Daniel Freund, a member of the European Parliament, drew attention to Orban's scarf. The term "Greater Hungary" refers to the lands that were part of the Hungarian Kingdom. The country lost these territories 100 years ago after defeat in the First World War.

In addition, the map of "Great Hungary" includes the regions of today's Serbia and Ukraine. These territories belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary until the end of the First World War.

Romanian MEP Alin Mituța said on Twitter that because of such things, EU leaders should punish and isolate Orbán.

"Another irresponsible act of Viktor Orban, who appeared today with a scarf with the map of Greater Hungary. It's a revisionist gesture that puts Orban alongside Putin, who also dreams of border changes. 

He should be sanctioned and isolated by EU leaders in the European Council," Mituța said.

It is not the first time that Orban has caused outrage by mentioning "Great Hungary." In 2020, he published a photo of a globe that also shows the borders of the Kingdom of Hungary before the end of the First World War. The incident caused outrage, especially in Croatia and Romania.

According to the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, the Kingdom of Hungary lost a large part of its former territory. In Hungary, this is still considered a tremendous historical shame.

Since the beginning of Orbán's tenure as prime minister, disputes between Hungary and neighboring countries have continued over the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in the kingdom's former territories. Thus, during the time of the Orbán governments, representatives of national minorities were generously given Hungarian passports.

Orbán recently said that the European Union's support for Ukraine through sanctions and military aid increases the risk of the war spreading to the bloc territory.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine responded that if the European Union stops the sanctions pressure on russia and military aid to Ukraine, then russian tanks may end up in Budapest faster than someone from the Hungarian government can call Moscow.