Mezei István: Urban development in Slovakia (Pécs-Somorja, 2010)
4. Towns in Slovakia after 1993
The connection between transportation and the town system corridor V/C be? There are two regions competing with each other: the Ipoly-lpeľ Valley (Nógrád-Novohrad County) and the Esztergom-Štúrovo region (Komárom-Esztergom County and Nitra region/kraj). When emphasizing their significance, both regions refer to the fact that they are close to Budapest, the most dynamic centre of the Carpathian Basin. Before making a decision, the European Union will also declare its opinion taking the interests of several countries into consideration, because the plan severely affects the northern-southern connection of Eastern- Central Europe. Namely, the Hungarian planning process cannot disregard the transportation problem concerning the whole of Europe. The eastern-western communication lines have mostly been constructed but north-south corridors are also necessary. The demand of the two towns coincided with the ideas of those who urge the setting up of a European transportation network. The complexity and importance of the issue can best be illustrated by the situation of the eastern section of the country. The border had been marked out so that the railway junction should belong to present-day Ukraine. Getting there is only possible from the direction of Záhony in Hungary and Čierna in Slovakia. Public roads have also been adjusted to this triangle, which means excluding both Hungary and Slovakia from this important junction. It is also obvious that, with Ungvár [today: Uzshorod in Ukraine] having been detached, this area lost its gravitation city. Due to the borders, this has had a negative effect on both Slovakia and Hungary. In this case, the interests of a third country, Ukraine, must also be considered when granting permits and restoring natural gravitation areas. Therefore, to avoid Ukrainian complications, the new communication corridor is likely to run from Finland, via the Baltic states, Poland, Košice in Slovakia and Miskolc in Hungary to the south. Consequently, it is obvious that the route Rajka-Szombathely-Nagykanizsa-Letenye also contributes to the organization of this north-south communication corridor. However, due to the central location of Budapest, the plans of two inside corridors seem to be taking shape between the two outside axial communication corridors: the Hungarian section of the above-mentioned V/C corridor: the routes Esztergom-Budapest-Dunaújváros-Szekszárd- Bóly-lvándárda and Parassapuszta-Vác-Budapest-Kecskemét-Szeged- Röszke on the other side of the capital city. These routes not only touch but also flank the capital city. Both roads run towards Žilina in the north, making shortened and accelerated traffic possible towards the two countries as well as Poland (Molnár 2007). 109
