Orban Advertises the Greater Hungary on the Trunk of His Car

Former Hungarian PM and current leader of the opposition, Viktor Orban, is unrepentant about advertising his patriotic feelings with pasting on his own car the map of the Greater Hungary [at its 1914 borders].

Orban was often criticized for his nationalist stance. A Hungarian televisions station followed Orban s car while he was driving through Miskolc town and took a close-up of the Greater Hungary map pasted on the trunk of his car.

A wave of comments and emotions were triggered in Budapest, after the images were broadcast. The comments were amplified by the fact that the same images were then made available over the Internet. The political debate which ensued parted the politicians in Budapest in two camps: on the one hand the far-right, represented by Jobbik party, congratulated Orban, on the other hand the center-right severely criticized him.

The right leaning "Nepszava" daily called the map as the symbol of revisionism which adorns Orban""s car. Orban was unrepentant: his spokesperson said on his behalf that "there is no shame in recognizing the past greatness of Hungary and be proud of the cultural values of that time which we inherited."

The new scandal irrupted shortly after the one triggered by the broadcast, in Romania, of the Hungarian-made "Trianon" documentary. Two months before a referendum, which Orban s party supported, failed. It attempted to grant Hungarian citizenship to the over three million Hungarian ethnics living in the neighboring countries.