March 31, 1998

In a repeat demonstration, over 2,000 parents protested the dismissal of two ethnic Hungarian principals from the schools of Vojnice/Bátorkeszi and Buc/Búcs. Hungarian Coalition deputies declared support for the local population’s efforts. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 31, 1998]

The local administration of Sturovo/Párkány decided to hold the April 19 referendum on direct presidential elections even though Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar had earlier canceled the nationwide referendum saying that it was illegal. Mayor Jan Oravec justified the city council’s decision based on the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the Interior Minister’s blocking of a similar referendum last May had violated citizens’ rights. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 31, 1998]

March 25, 1998

More than 30,000 demonstrators rallied in the center of Bratislava/Pozsony to protest against the current government led by Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar, and demand greater respect for democracy. During the demonstration the opposition began the drive to collect signatures on a petition, calling for a fair electoral system and direct presidential elections. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 25, 1998]

"We refuse organized migration to Slovakia’s southern territories," stated József Kvarda, Co-Existence Political Movement vice-president, pointing out that several mayors have reported organized migration of other nationalities into areas densely populated by ethnic Hungarians. Apparently, local branches of the Democratic Movement for Slovakia and the Matica Slovenska are engaged in searching for, and buying up, unused real estate in the region in order to facilitate the transfer of people. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 25, 1998]

According to a survey conducted by Bratislava Public Affairs and the Focus Agency, 62 percent of the population would have participated in the April 19 referendum canceled by the government, and 93 percent would have said ``yes’’ to changing the method of selecting a president to direct popular vote. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 25, 1998]

March 24, 1998

In a press conference, Hungarian Coalition leaders expressed resentment over the refusal of the Slovak Democratic Coalition to organize a joint demonstration on March 25. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 24, 1998]

Slovak National Party President Jan Slota congratulated extreme nationalist Vojislav Seselj on forming a coalition government in Serbia, expressing hope that his success will give hope to "national and Christian forces" in Europe. In the interim, Slota rejected autonomy for Albanians in Kosovo saying it would endanger Slovakia. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 24, 1998]

March 23, 1998

European Commission High Commissioner for Economic Affairs Martin Bangemann has visited Slovakia and continued talks with opposition leaders, among others, Hungarian Civic Party Vice-President Kálmán Petõcz who called attention to the government’s discriminative amendment to the Election Law. "The nationalist propaganda will use the Hungarian card in the upcoming election campaign, as we have already seen. Unfortunately, public television is also complicit," pointed out Petõcz during their meeting. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 25, 1998]

The petition committee of the Slovak Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Coalition, which seeks fair elections in September as well as direct presidential elections, will be headed by former President Michal Kovac. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 23, 1998]

March 20, 1998

Slovenska republica published Matica Slovenska’s proposal to amend the Election Law which casts aside civil liberties and "consciously favors ethnic Slovaks." Hungarian Civic Party Vice-President László Gyurkovszky called the state-funded Matica Slovenska’s plan anti-democratic and unconstitutional, aiming to create an autocracy. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 20, 1998]

March 19, 1998

Parliament was repeatedly unsuccessful in electing a new president with Spokesman Ivan Gasparovic setting the new round of voting for April 16. While independent Milan Fogas withdrew his candidacy, opposition candidate Ladislav Ballek obtained 50 votes. A three-fifths majority (90 votes) is required to elect a new president in the 150-seat Parliament. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 20, 1998]

The government issued a statement saying Slovakia cannot identify itself with the March 10 European Union statement that sharply criticized it’s failure to respect fundamental democratic principles. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 19, 1998]

At the District Administration of Komarno/Komárom, parents submitted a petition with 2,000 signatures, protesting the dismissal of principals of two ethnic Hungarian schools in Kosihy/Bátorkeszi and Búc/Búcs. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 19, 1998]

March 18, 1998

Parents continued demonstrations, petitioning the dismissal of two ethnic Hungarian principals because students declined to accept their Slovak-only report cards. Officials of the Komárom/Komarno District Administration said they would meet the delegation of parents on Friday. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 18, 1998]

Leaders of the Jewish community voiced their concern over the participation of Catholic church leaders in celebrating the anniversary of the proclamation of the fascist Slovak state — a celebration attended by the leadership of Matica Slovenska, and the Deputy Spokesman of Parliament as well. The behavior of one part of the Slovak Catholic hierarchy is not in accordance with the document on the Holocaust released by the Vatican," stated the head of the Jewish community. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 18, 1998]

March 17, 1998

The Five-party Slovak Democratic Coalition accepted the Hungarian Coalition’s proposal to submit a petition to Parliament, calling for (1) free and fair elections, (2) presidential election via direct popular vote and (3) transferring unassumed presidential powers to the Spokesman of Parliament, with the necessary half a million signatures be collected until mid May. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 17 and 18, 1998]

In the Bátorove Kosihy/Bátorkeszi and Búc/Búcs communities of Komárom/Komarno district, principals of two ethnic Hungarian schools were dismissed because students have declined to accept their Slovak-only report cards. In response, parents started demonstrating, protesting the dismissal of the principals, while the Hungarian Coalition said it would bring this incident to the attention of European institutions. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 17, 1998]

Co-Existence Political Movement President Miklós Duray protested the government’s attempts to distort the party’s letter encouraging a peaceful resolution of the Kosovo crisis by calling it an indication of open irredentism. "There was no such part in the letter, which compared the situation of ethnic Hungarians with that of Kosovo Albanians. Jozef Kroslak, however, reacted angrily to the letter. The government, however, probably had a reason to compare the condition of the two minorities," stated Duray. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 17 and 18, 1998]

In response to the Co-Existence Political Movement letter’s calling upon the government to encourage the peaceful resolution of the Kosovo crisis by declaring support for territorial, financial, cultural and educational autonomy, the government and Movement for Democratic Slovakia issued separate statements claiming that "any comparison between the situation of Slovakia and Kosovo is an inclination to open irredentism." [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 16 and 17, 1998]

March 13, 1998

Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar rejected recent sharp criticism from the European Parliament by saying that "no representatives of the European Parliament can force me to violate the constitution with political statements." Concerning the endorsement of a minority-language law, Meciar reiterated his claim that while the European Commission calls for legislation on minority-languages, there is no such precedent in Europe. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 12, 1998]

Head of the Foreign Ministry Department Peter Burian stated that "experts of the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Union encouraged the endorsement of a minority-language law in Tuesday’s meeting. After the negotiation, our position has not changed: present-day conditions are satisfactory." In response to recent EU criticism, casting doubt on the Slovak government’s commitment to democratic principles, Government Spokesman Milan Tokar briefly stated "We have problems with the European Union." [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 13, 1998]

March 12, 1998

In Strasbourg, an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament (193:13) approved a resolution, calling for free and fair elections, the rule of law and respect for human and minority rights in Slovakia. Furthermore, the EP expressed grave concern over the recent actions of the government led by Vladimír Meciar, which seeks to abuse power by thwarting the referendum on presidential election and NATO, dismissing 28 ambassadors, and granting amnesty to criminals who participated in the kidnapping of former President Michal Kovac’s son. Chair of the European Union and Slovakia’s Joint Parliamentary Committee, Herbert Bösch stated that Europe expects signs that Slovakia will abide by democratic rules, however, Premier Meciar and his cabinet have given no such indication. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 13, 1998]

March 11, 1998

After waves of protest from the U.S. State Department and the European Union, Co-Chairs of the U.S. Congressional Helsinki Committee, Senator Alfonse D’Amato and Representative Christopher Smith, voiced indignation and serious concern over Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar granting amnesty to criminals, who blocked the referendum last May and participated in the kidnapping of former President Michal Kovac’s son. The letter also strongly criticized the new Election Law amended by the government. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 11, 1998]

The National Council of the Co-Existence Political Movement sent a letter to Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar calling upon the government to encourage autonomy for Albanians in Kosovo in accordance with OSCE, European Union and U.S. resolutions. The letter also points out that in countries where democracy is tenuous, only territorial, financial cultural and educational autonomy can guarantee the continued survival of discriminated ethnic minorities. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 17, 1998; Central European Online (London), March 11, 1998]

In response to the European Union’s statement, sharply criticizing the Slovak government for failing to respect democratic principles, Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar stated that "granting amnesty is the internal affair of every country," while he blamed the European Union for adopting unilateral resolutions and not consulting with the government. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 11, 1998; Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 12, 1998]

Commenting on the statement issued by European Union dignitaries, Co-Existence Political Movement Vice-President István Batta indicated that Slovakia’s European integration could be seriously hindered, stating that "the excessive rule of the majority generates internal tensions as a result of which Slovakia may become a destabilizing factor in the region." [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 11, 1998]

March 10, 1998

At the conclusion of their two-day visit to Slovakia, experts of OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Union issued a statement, pointing out that Slovak laws fail to stipulate the official use of minority languages, while "it is worrisome that the issuance of bilingual report cards has not been guaranteed legally," stated the document. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 11, 1998]

The European Union issued a statement voicing serious concern over Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar’s amnesty to criminals, questioning Meciar’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law. "These actions do not make a positive contribution to Slovakia’s efforts to prepare for EU membership," stated the document. In the interim, the European Parliament is preparing to adopt a critical resolution. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 10, 1998; Central European Online (London), March 11, 1998]

Representatives of Slovakia’s 560,000 strong ethnic Hungarian community were prevented from officially meeting with OSCE, Council of Europe and European Union dignitaries to continue discussions on minority-language rights. Co-Existence Political Movement Vice-President István Batta stated "We suspect that the government deliberately planned the foreign delegation’s schedule in a way that OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Max van der Stoel, European Commission Director for Central European Affairs Catherine Daye and the Council of Europe’s Political Director Hans-Peter Fürrer would not be able to meet with ethnic Hungarian parliamentary deputies." [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 11, 1998]

March 9, 1998

At the conclusion of negotiations with Slovak government officials, European Commission Director for Central European Affairs Catherine Daye stated that "experts of the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Commission are of the same opinion. We have certain doubts whether the legal guarantees of the use of minority-languages are sufficient, and provisions of the Slovak legal system are in accordance with international norms." Slovak politicians continue to stand by the current government memorandum, denying the need for a minority-language law. Deputy Premier Katarína Tóthová stated that Slovak experts have not found European examples addressing the official use of minority languages. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), March 10, 1998; Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 10, 1998]

Even though representatives of the ethnic Hungarian community were excluded from official meetings with OSCE, Council of Europe and European Union dignitaries, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Vice President Pál Csáky could continue talks tonight with OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Max van der Stoel. At the conclusion of their meeting, Csáky recounted van der Stoel as saying that the endorsement of a minority-language law will be a prime factor during EU accession talks, which he gave little chance until after the elections in September. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 11, 1998]

OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Max van der Stoel, The Council of Europe’s Political Director Hans-Peter Fürrer and European Commission Director for Central European Affairs Catherine Daye begin a visit today to Slovakia to continue negotiations over the protection of minority-language rights and urge for Slovakia’s compliance with international conventions on minorities rights. The European Commission issued a preliminary statement, pointing out that the state-language law adopted in 1995 removed clauses on the official use of minority languages, and Hungarian-language schools are now prohibited from issuing bilingual report cards. Furthermore, the European Union recalls that the Slovak government pledged to endorse a law on minority-language in 1996, however, it merely adopted a government memorandum last year, claiming that existing minority legislation is sufficient. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 9, 1998; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), March 9, 1998]

March 8, 1998

At its meeting today, the National Council of the Co-Existence Political Movement issued a letter to ethnic Hungarians calling for the unification of the three-party Hungarian Coalition in order to succeed in the upcoming elections. The move was prompted by recent government amendments to the Election Law, aimed at lowering the chances of opposition parties. Co-Existence Party President Miklós Duray stated that neither the creation of an election party nor running on the same party list will avert disadvantages brought by the government proposal. "In our opinion, talks on the creation of an alliance party should be accelerated," said Duray. The National Council also decided to convene the 6^th National Conference of the Co-Existence Movement on May 10. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 9, 1998]

March 6, 1998

On a two-day official visit to Slovakia, NATO Secretary General Javier Solana continued discussions on bilateral relations with Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar, Defense Minister Jan Sitek and Foreign Minister Zdenka Kramplova, concluding that the doors to NATO will remain open to Slovakia. "As far as military cooperation is concerned, Bratislava has come closer to NATO, however the status of democracy needs improvement." [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March , 1998]

The United States State Department has sharply criticized Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar’s amnesty, calling it in violation of basic democratic principles, among others, the rule of law. Reflecting on the American statement, the foreign ministry spokesman said that granting amnesty is a presidential power, which is currently exercised by the Premier, thus it is not in violation of the rule of law. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 6, 1998]

March 5, 1998

Outcome of the repeated presidential election was inconclusive in Parliament as both candidates, Ladislav Ballek of Democratic Left-Wing Party with 49 votes and independent Milan Fogas with five votes, failed to gather the necessary three-fifths majority, or 90 votes. The next round of election has been set for March 19 with the same candidates running for President. The Constitution allows for endless number of voting until the three-fifth majority is collected, for which, in the present situation, neither candidate has little chance. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 6, 1998; Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 6, 1998]

"The blocked referendum set by former President Michal Kovac, the mass dismissal of ambassadors, and the official amnesty to criminals would lead to the downfall of a government under normal circumstances," pointed out Hungarian Civic Party Vice-President László Gyurovszky. Voicing his resentment over the Constitutional Court’s ruling that approved the prohibition of minority languages in Parliament, he stated that "It is uncomfortable to live in a country, where the constitution favors the majority nation, while treating minorities as second-class citizens." [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 5, 1998]

In protest at the amnesty issued by Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar (see report of March 4), several thousands of people demonstrated on the central square of Bratislava/Pozsony. Christian Democratic Movement President Jan Carnogursky called upon Interior Minister Gustav Krajci and Head of the Slovak Intelligence Agency Alexa Ivan, to take responsibility for the their roles in the 1995 kidnapping of former President Michal Kovac’s son. Furthermore, a letter by leaders of the Hungarian Coalition, Béla Bugár, Miklós Duray and László A. Nagy, called for cooperation between ethnic Hungarian and Slovak democrats to end Meciar’s rule. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 5, 1998; Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 6, 1998]

March 4, 1998

Exercising his new presidential power, Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar blocked legal actions over the kidnapping of former President Michal Kovac’s son and the sabotaged referendum last May. The Premier’s move was justified on grounds of "creating social peace and resolving tensions." Opposition party Christian Democratic Movement Vice-President Vladimír Palko stated "We know that behind the kidnapping of the president’s son is the Slovak secret police, and we know that Vladimír Meciar is responsible for this crime. It is the first time in history that perpetrators of a crime grant themselves amnesty" Reflecting on the situation, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Vice President Pál Csáky stated that the government had already acknowledged that last year’s referendum was blocked unlawfully. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), March 4, 1998; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), March 5, 1998]

The Constitutional Court ruled that Slovak is the only acceptable language in Parliament, banning ethnic Hungarian MPs from using their native language during sessions. Milan Cic, head of the Constitutional Court stated that parliamentary talks are not considered official affairs and none of the international agreements mandate the equality of languages. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 5, 1998]

Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Vice President Pál Csáky called the government’s decision to cancel the planned referendum for April 19, and dismiss 28 ambassadors a "primitive demonstration of power," warning that opposition parties will have even more responsibilities for Slovakia’s future after the general elections. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 5, 1998]

March 3, 1998

During his one-day visit to Slovakia, John de Fonlbanque, Director of the Department for European Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of Great Britain, was rejected by the government coalition, and thus met only with opposition MPs, among others, Árpád Duka Zólyomi, Vice President of Co-Existence Political Movement. The British envoy carried the message of the European Union, insisting that Slovakia improve its poor record on democracy, as a necessary precondition for EU negotiations. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), March 5, 1998]