Slovakia
May 1998
Ultra-nationalist Jan Slota was re-elected President of the Slovak National Party, the smaller member of the government coalition. Slota stated that his party’s objective is to achieve Slovak-language instruction in all state schools and added that "the southern borders must be strengthened by creating a Slovak cultural sphere subsidized by the state." Southern Slovakia is home to 560,000 ethnic Hungarians. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), June 2, 1998]
The Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement (HCDM) has legally ceased to exist, while the Interior Ministry registered a new party named the Hungarian Coalition Party, founded by the HCDM and incorporating the Co-Existence Political Movement and Hungarian Civic Party as well. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 27, 1998]
"Free and fair elections will have great influence on Slovakia’s integration," stated Stephen Flanagan, Central European Security Advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. The American envoy also voiced his hope that before Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar signs the new Election Law, critical observations made by the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will be incorporated. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 22, 1998]
The Ethnic Hungarian Intellectual Forum issued a statement voicing grave concern and indignation over the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law, which seeks to introduce Slovak-language instruction of social science subjects in ethnic Hungarian schools. The statement points out, among others, that the amendment, approved by Parliament in its first reading, runs contrary to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and Regional Languages, which Slovakia was one of the first to sign in 1993 (see report of February 1). [News Mirror—DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), May 22-24, 1998]
Negotiations over the use of minority languages were inconclusive between officials of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union and the Slovak government. Further talks will be necessary later this year. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), May 21, 1998]
"It cannot be ruled out that the Slovak government will receive criticism from international organizations such as the European Parliament, the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, for approving the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law," said Árpád Duka Zólyomi, Vice President of the Co-Existence Political Movement. The Hungarian Coalition Party has already informed the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE about the proposal, which seeks to abolish Hungarian-language education. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), May 21, 1998]
Education State Secretary Ondrej Nemcok urged Parliament to endorse the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law, seeking to introduce bilingual education in all ethnic Hungarian schools. "Something must be done immediately so that young people will learn the Slovak language in mixed-population areas," said Nemcok. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), May 21, 1998]
In a vote of 78-62, Parliament approved restrictive government amendments to the Election Law. The new law unites Slovakia under a single electoral district instead of the current four; the election commissions lose some of their powers to the Interior Ministry; each party in a coalition has to reach a five percent threshold to enter Parliament, impeding the participation of political coalitions in the elections; and commercial television and radio stations are prohibited from carrying party advertising during the campaign period. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 20, 1998]
The Central Coordination Council of Hungarian political parties and social organizations called for nationwide demonstrations to prevent final approval of the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law, which seeks to introduce bilingual education in ethnic Hungarian schools. The first demonstrations will be organized in Galanta/Galánta and Moldava nad Bodvou/Szepsi on June 12. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), May 20, 1998]
The Association of Towns and Villages, the largest alliance of local governments which consists of 2,700 communities, held a demonstration in Bratislava/Pozsony with the participation of 500 mayors and local administration representatives to protest discriminatory amendments to the Law on Local Government (see report of May 12). Chairman of the Association Michal Sykora criticized the government for not consulting with local administrations prior to the proposal. [News Mirror—DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), May 19, 1998]
Pál Csáky and Árpád Duka Zólyomi, leaders of the two ethnic Hungarian parliamentary factions, wrote a letter asking Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar to take an official position regarding the unacceptability of the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law. The letter was prompted by the parliamentary approval of the amendment’s first draft despite the Premier’s earlier statement that the amendment is unconstitutional (see report of May 11). [Forum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 13, 1998]
The Association of Towns and Villages will organize a demonstration in Bratislava/Pozsony, protesting the government amendments to the Law on Local Government (see report of May 12). [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 13, 1998]
Parliament approved the proposition that amendments to the Law on Local Government be debated urgently. The first amendment curbs the rights of local administrations to call for a referendum; the second amendment limits the number of minority representatives in a local government to the proportion of national minorities in the given locality. Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar reiterated that the purpose of the amendments is to dissolve the ethnic Hungarian majority of local governments in Southern Slovakia. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), May 13, 1998; Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 12, 1998]
Parliamentary Spokesman Ivan Gasparovic refused to accept a petition signed by 350,000 citizens, calling for a fair election law, direct presidential elections and the end of the current constitutional crisis. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), May 13, 1998]
Parents and teachers will continue to protest over the removal of two ethnic Hungarian school principals in Vojnice/Bátorkeszi and Buc/Búcs since Ernest Macho, a local district official, refused to reinstate Lajos Varga and Ferenc Novák in their positions. In the interim, the joint petition committee of the two communities issued a statement, pointing out that political reasons lay behind the removal of the ethnic Hungarian principals, " targeting the liquidation of Hungarian-language schools. The dismissal of the two principals seeks to threaten other principals and teachers in Hungarian-language schools in a period when the Slovak National Party, which controls the Ministry of Education, wants to amend the Education Law. If the amendment is endorsed by Parliament, it will lead to the abolishment of the Hungarian-language school system in Slovakia," holds the statement. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), May 12, 1998]
Parties of the Slovak Parliament agreed to amend the constitution and confer some presidential power on the Spokesman of the House in an attempt to avert a constitutional crisis when the government resigns after the September elections. The current constitution does not stipulate who the cabinet should resign its power to, and who is entitled to appoint the new government if there is no President. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), May 12, 1998]
During talks with Hungarian Coalition leaders, Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar announced that the government considers the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law unconstitutional. The amendment mandates Slovak-language instruction of social science subjects in ethnic Hungarian schools. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 11, 1998]
Officials of the Washington-based National Democratic Institute ended talks over amendments to the Election Law and pointed out several deficiencies, for example, the delay of their parliamentary debate, the parties’ diminished ability to defend their own interests, the state administration’s extended role in the election and the exclusion of commercial media from the election campaign. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 7, 1998]
The Slovak government issued a protest over Freedom House’s report on freedom of the press, which ranked Slovakia only among the partially free countries. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 6, 1998]
"Slovakia is a country which is capable of suitably organizing parliamentary elections," concluded Javier Ruperez, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, following talks with Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar. Javier pointed out that OSCE observers will be sent only to participate in, and not organize, the Slovak elections. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 5, 1998]
Csemadok and the Slovak-Hungarian Parents and Teachers Association, issued a statement protesting the Slovak National Party’s amendment to the Education Law, which seeks to introduce bilingual education in all Hungarian-language schools. The statement calls on Hungarian Coalition deputies to prevent the approval of the amendment during its debate in Parliament. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 4, 1998]
The Legal Committee of the Slovak Bishop Conference has issued a statement criticizing recent government efforts to amend the Election Law, while pointing out that it seeks to favor government parties. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 1, 1998]
Matica Slovenská President Jozef Markus opened the organization’s 17th house in Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely to reinforce ethnic Slovak culture in Southern Slovakia—a region overwhelmingly populated by ethnic Hungarians. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), May 1, 1998]