Eastern Slovakia Residents Feel Marginalized as War Fears Mount

Residents in Slovakia's easternmost Zemplín region say they feel invisible and forgotten by the central government, believing that national attention and resources stop at Košice, the country's second-largest city. The sentiment reflects broader concerns about regional inequality and neglect of border areas. Local residents also express fears about the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine and hope for a victory by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, suggesting cross-border political sympathies in this ethnically diverse region that borders both Ukraine and Hungary. The Zemplín area, historically one of Slovakia's poorest regions, has long struggled with economic underdevelopment and population decline.