OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION COUNTIES

1996 has been a year of severe setbacks in Slovakia: not only have parliamentary democracy and the rule of law been threatened, but other democratic institutions too are being whittled away, and the nationalisation of cultural institutions is proceeding at a rapid pace.

Through its Law on Foundations, the government has taken control over one of the most important institutions of civil society. Meanwhile, museums, libraries and theatres are being placed under state supervision.

Slovakia is heading toward a new totalitarianism, with the final goal of centralising political power, increasing the power of state authorities, eliminating autonomous activity, placing local governments under centralised state supervision, and thwarting the principle of subsidiarity.

As a consequence of this process, the very survival of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia is in grave danger.

Hungarian culture in Slovakia suffered its biggest blow in 1995, when the government reduced entitlements to a minimum. At the same time, the state has continually increased its support for Slovak cultural institutions (such as Matica slovenska). Consequently, the cultural institutions of the Hungarians have either ceased to exist, or they are under constant danger of shutting down. Today, ethnic Slovaks receive many times more state support per capita to preserve their culture than their ethnic Hungarian fellow citizens. Until recently, the Hungarians had managed to maintain two professional theatres, but this summer both theatres lost their legal independence and came under direct state supervision. The government nationalised their assets, including those that stemmed form private donations.

The identity of Hungarians is further endangered by the Law on the State Language. At the end of September, contrary to existing procedure, the National Council of the Slovak Republic adopted a law according to which the elected representatives of ethnic Hungarians — who compose 12 percent of the country's population are not allowed to make statements in Parliament in their native language.

The majority of Hungarian-language schools (approximately 98 %) are state schools. Regulations restrict the right of schools to exercise self-government, which means, for example, that principals can be dismissed without cause at the order of the ministry. Such dismissals have been carried out in several instances against principals who opposed the oppressive measures of the ministry. Most recently, Hungarian schools can no longer even maintain their grading books in the Hungarian language. A law on the reorganisation of administrative districts, adopted in 1990 and recently entered into force, severely restricts the participation of Hungarians in local and regional governments. Before the law took effect, the Hungarians were a majority in 17 districts. Since the reorganisation, only 2 districts remained out of a total of 79 in which the proportion of Hungarians exceeds 50 percent. This measure will have far-reaching negative consequences for the right to representation through democratic ballot.

These events in Slovakia not only violate democratic principles, but also contradict the provisions of the Slovak Constitution. The measures carried out by the Slovak government violate the principles of the basic treaty concluded between the Republic of Slovakia and the Republic of Hungary and is incompatible with European security interests and stability. The present situation is contrary to Slovakia's efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and to the European Union's plan to gradually integrate the countries of East Central Europe.

Thus, today, our protest speaks out not only against measures which violate the Constitution and restrict democracy; it also aims to draw attention to the fact that the increasing social tensions as a consequence of the processes underway in Slovakia are a danger to European stability.

Komarom, October 5, 1996

On behalf of the participants of the assembly:



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