He noted that the leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition, former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, as well as the Socialists’ candidate for prime minister László Botka and the leader of radical nationalist Jobbik Gábor Vona were all among those lawmakers.

Jobbik in response called it “a shame” that Viktor Orbán and his party had left the chamber in parliament in 1990 when they should have been commemorating Trianon.

Fidesz and KDNP repeated the “dishonour” last week when they rejected a proposal to make 2020 the Trianon Memorial Year, it said.

The opposition green party LMP said it is important to remember on the Day of National Cohesion that it is everyone’s joint responsibility to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Hungary needs to implement a nation policy strategy that offers ethnic Hungarian communities outside of the country the greatest degree of support while respecting their right to selfdetermination. Opposition Együtt said the Treaty of Trianon and the “pain it causes even today” cannot tear apart the members of the Hungarian nation.

Trianon teaches that “minorities living among us are just as much a part of the nation as the majority: if we suppress them, we only hurt ourselves.”

Opposition Dialogue also acknowledged that the impact of the Treaty of Trianon can still be felt today. Hungary needs to be a place where everybody counts and where support is given to Hungarians who have emigrated to maintain their identities, the party said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.