THE HUNGARIAN Prime Minister Viktor Orban doesn't give up on provoking and claiming the Croatian territory, as well as some other Hungary's neighboring countries, which was also confirmed this weekend.
On the Hungarian-Slovakian border, Orban built a monument on account of the hundredth anniversary of signing the Treaty of Trianon, by which then Hungary lost parts of the territory that it controlled within the Habsburg Monarchy. The monument consists of the map of Greater Hungary and memorials. "Fiume - tengerre magyar," i.e., "Rijeka - To the Sea, Hungarians," is written on one memorial.
Hungary lifted restrictions for Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria, but not for Croatia
Not only does Orban systematically claim the Croatian territory, but he also sabotages the Croatian tourist season, which success or failure depends on the depth of the incoming and inevitable economic crisis.
In fact, on Friday, June 5, Hungary completely lifted travel restrictions for its citizens for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria, while travel bans to Croatia are still in force.
That was posted by the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjártó on his Facebook profile: "The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of our four countries have had many consultations these days on how to jointly lift restrictions on mutual borders. In the end, we managed to agree on all technical questions," praised Szijjártó.
In practice, it means that the citizens of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia can travel to these countries without showing a negative coronavirus test and without mandatory quarantine upon returning to their countries.
The incompetence of the Croatian diplomacy
Croatia is completely left out of these processes, although it has a similar or even better epidemiological situation than the countries mentioned above. Thus Hungary joined Austria in sabotaging the tourist season in Croatia.
<< Austria is sabotaging the tourist season in Croatia. Why?
At the same time, the incompetence of the Croatian diplomacy has been revealed once again, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlic-Radman, who has recently publicly fraternized with Szijjártó.
Grlic-Radman shamelessly currying favor with the Hungarian colleague Szijjártó
"We're thankful to Croatia because, despite the international pressure from the liberal mainstream, didn't take side with those who persistently attack Hungary," said Szijjártó in a press release with his Croatian colleague Gordan Grlic-Radman on the border crossing point Gorican-Letenye on April 24.
The Croatian top diplomat reminded of all that Hungary had done for Croatia, and thanked the Hungarian colleague for the donation of 100,000 masks and 5,000 protective clothing that arrived when Croatia didn't have it, as well as for Hungarian help after an earthquake in Zagreb. He even remembered to state: "A brother stands by a brother, a Hungarian stands by a Croat."
On the one hand, Grlic-Radman isn't able to clearly oppose Hungary claiming the Croatian territory, but he is currying favor with Hungary. On the other hand, he's not able to negotiate to lift the restrictions with Hungary, which is crucial for saving the tourist season. The Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs didn't go past meeting the Hungarian colleague at the border crossing point. He should have instead arranged for that border crossing to be open without restrictions for Hungarian citizens traveling to Croatia, just like any other border crossing between Hungary and Croatia.
<< Plenkovic turned Croatia into Orban's poodle
There aren't many Hungarian tourists in Croatia, but at the time of the crisis, every tourist counts
There were around 19.6 million tourists in Croatia, thereof 17.4 million foreign tourists. A total of 617,391 Hungarian tourists visited Croatia, which is 3.1 percent more than in 2018. They achieved 3.04 million overnight stays or 2.2 percent more than the year before. Therefore, around 3.5 percent of foreign tourists in Croatia were the Hungarians, and they made approximately 3.6 percent of overnight stays from the total number of overnight stays of international tourists.
These aren't particularly impressive figures, especially in comparison with the percentage of the German tourists, but they are also not irrelevant in the situation when every tourist in Croatia counts for saving the tourist season.
One would hope that the Croatian government currying favor with Orban and Hungary would at least result in Hungary opening borders towards Croatia without restrictions, but that still hasn't happened.
Oleg Butkovic's lukewarm reaction
The reactions to the newest Orban's provocation with the glorification of Greater Hungary also illustrated the self-humiliation of Andrej Plekovic's government in front of Hungary. The only person who reacted quickly was the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, who is a holder of the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) list for the parliamentary elections in the eighth electorate with Rijeka.
"We can have different attitudes, but history is history. I don't approve and condemn provocations that are connected with the fundamental principles of national statehood, such as the territorial constitution," said Butkovic yesterday in a lukewarm response.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs spreads Hungarian propaganda and excuses
The response from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs arrived today, which is even more currying favor with the Hungarian claiming of the Croatian territory.
"We condemn the actions that bring problems and unrest in the good neighborly relations instead of strengthening the collaboration with the future perspective. In this matter, the Hungarian ambassador has been invited by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Zagreb," they said, at the same time being careful not to mention the Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, perhaps not to make him angry.
"The explanation arrived from the Hungarian Embassy in the Republic of Croatia about the inaccuracy of the translation which caused wrong interpretation, and which should say: "Rijeka - To the Sea, Hungarians!" and not "Rijeka - The Hungarian Sea" as reported by the media. The quote is the citation from the 1846 article of the same name by the poet and politician Lajos Kossuth to encourage the building of the new railroad and to describe the beauty of the sea and the seaside," reported from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, thus actually spreading the Hungarian propaganda and dubious excuses for Orban's inappropriate acts and speech. On the side with the inaccurate translation, there is still a monument left which claims the Republic of Croatia's present-day territory, as well as many previous examples in the same imperialistic style.
The behavior of Orban's daughter towards Croatia
The behavior of Orban's family also demonstrates his attitude towards Croatia.
Two years ago, the Hungarian media published photographs of Orban's daughter Rahel Orban. She was captured throwing a dirty diaper on a rest stop after returning from vacation on the Adriatic coast. Of course, she didn't throw the diaper in a trash bin, but on the side of the road.
Be that as it may, the current balance sheet between Plenkovic and HDZ's policy of currying favors with Orban is such that the Hungarian Prime Minister every now and then claims the Croatian territory and, without valid epidemiological reasons still doesn't lift the restrictions for the Hungarian citizens who want to cross the border to Croatia, and by doing so, it disables the efforts for saving the Croatian tourist season.