Windows of the only Hungarian school in Bratislava/Pozsony were again broken, for the fourth time since the March 15 commemoration of the 1848 Hungarian war for independence. As previously reported, Hungarian-related buildings—such as the Hungarian Consulate, churches, schools, theaters, bookstores, offices of the Hungarian Coalition Party and statues of Hungarian historical figures—have recently been vandalized in Bratislava and other three cities with significant Hungarian populations, namely Kosice/Kassa, Rimavska Sobota/Rimaszombat and Senec/Szenc [see reports of March 19, 20, 22, 27 and April 21]. At the request of the concerned institutions, the police investigated each case, but no perpetrators have been identified yet. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), April 30, 2001]

A car displaying anti-Hungarian inscriptions has been stationed for weeks in front of the district council’s building in Trnava/Nagyszombat. The local branch of the Vladimir Meciar-lead Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) admitted that the car is owned by the HZDS and it would not be moved until the parliament votes on the administrative reform [see report of April 1]. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), April 25, 2001]

Establishing the Hungarian-language faculty at the Konstantin University in Nitra/Nyitra was again omitted from the agenda of the University Senate’s regular meeting today. Despite a recommendation and allocation of 10 million SKK ($200,000) by the government for the faculty back on January 24 [see report of January 24], the Senate continues to delay addressing the question. At a press conference on April 18, László Szigeti, ethnic Hungarian Education Ministry State Secretary, pointed out that the real reason for the delay is the lack of good will on the part of University leaders, since professional conditions exist to set up the new institution. Creating a faculty at Konstantin University that would ensure the training of Hungarian-language teachers is a main aspiration of the 600,000-member Hungarian community. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), April 19, 2001 and Népszabadság (Budapest), April 24, 2001]

Leaflets inciting against Hungarians were posted on the main entrance to the Hungarian-language Sándor Márai School in Kosice/Kassa. The leaflets called on people to join in moves that would “free the country from Hungarian hyenas” and were signed by the “National Liberation.” A letter ‘H’ (international symbol for the Republic of Hungary) with a slash through it and other anti-Hungarian inscriptions were also spray-painted on the building for the second time in the past few weeks [see report of March 22]. A police investigation is underway. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), April 21, 2001]

Pál Csáky, ethnic Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights, Minorities and Regional Development refuted a recent statement by Ján Sokol, Archbishop of Bratislava-Trnava, who told Slovakian news agency TASR that ethnic Hungarian believers' request for an ethnic Hungarian bishop was merely a political demand. In an interview with the Hungarian news agency MTI, Csáky pointed out that key issues concerning the almost 400,000-member ethnic Hungarian Roman Catholic community—such as the training of ethnic Hungarian priests and regular publication of Hungarian-language religious books—are still unmet. “It is unquestionably a justified request to appoint an ethnic Hungarian bishop who could [...] address these issues properly,” stated Csáky. Archbishop Sokol has declined to place the issue on the agenda of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference (KBS) since 1993, when ethnic Hungarian priests first submitted a written appeal. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), April 18 and 19, 2001 and MTI – Hungarian Telegraph Agency (Budapest), April 17, 2001]

Posters inciting against the Roma population appeared throughout the city of Kassa/Kosice. The posters, which read “White men pay taxes to the state only because they need the money to improve living conditions of the penniless Roma” were stuck on several ATM machines as well. Pál Csáky, ethnic Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights, Minorities and Regional Development denounced the actions. [MTI – Hungarian Telegraph Agency (Budapest), April 4, 2001]

By a slight majority, the government coalition adopted the text of the bill that would modify the current administrative boundaries of Slovakia. The planned administrative reform would divide the country into 12 districts, replacing the current structure of 8 administrative units, created by the Meciar regime in 1996 [see report of March 2, 2001]. Supported only by the Slovak Democratic Coalition headed by Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda and the Hungarian Coalition Party (HCP), the measure was opposed by the Party of the Democratic Left and the Party of Civic Understanding. Some provisions of the bill are favorable to the Hungarian community, but it fails to create the Komárno/Révkomárom District, a main aspiration of the country’s 600,000-strong Hungarian minority, as the proportion of ethnic Hungarians in this district would have exceeded 50 percent. Proposed by the HCP, establishment of the Komárno District would have comprised the historic Hungarian regions of Csallóköz and Mátyusföld, divided in 1996 in order to abolish the statistical majority of Hungarians in certain areas. Parliamentary voting is expected in June. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), April 2, 2001 and Népszabadság (Budapest), April 2, 2001]