Istvan Kollai on misunderstandings between Slovaks and Hungarians

After the First World War, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory to neighbouring countries – as laid down in the Treaty of Trianon. Today, around 2.4 million Hungarians still live in these countries as minorities. According to Istvan Kollai, despite good economic relations the Treaty of Trianon casts a shadow over the relationship between Hungary and Slovakia. "When Hungarians refer to the Treaty of Trianon it provokes unwarranted defensive reactions from our Slovak neighbours. Some misunderstandings are difficult to clarify, but Hungarian politicians could clear up certain misunderstandings by providing comprehensive information and making unambiguous statements. For example, it's a mistake to believe Hungarians want the division of territory to be revised just because they have good memories of the times before the peace treaty and talk about those memories... Nor does Hungarian society have a joint stance on the position of minorities in neighbouring countries, as Slovaks often claim."

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