July 28, 1999

The opposition led by Vladimír Meciar's Movement for Democratic Slovakia submitted to President Rudolf Schuster a petition that contains 430,000 signatures and calls for a referendum on minority language use and the privatization of strategic companies. The opposition's drive to eliminate minority languages from official communication came in response to Parliament's adoption of a minority-language law [see report of July 10] that will go into effect September 1. Experts pointed out that the Constitution rules out a referendum on fundamental human rights, such as the right to native-language use. [Népszabadság (Budapest), Jul. 29, 1999]

July 27, 1999

In a commentary to the Hungarian-language daily, Új Szó , Deputy Prime Minister in charge of human rights, minorities and regional development Pál Csáky disclosed information that last May a "fatal rift" occurred in preparation for the adoption of the minority language law [see report of July 10]. The ethnic Hungarian official pointed out that European organizations — the European Union, the OSCE and the Council of Europe — making the four-party Slovak government coalition’s unity a top priority "brought a political decision that even though the Hungarian Coalition Party aspired to achieve a solution based on European norms, it could not be supported if three of the government parties rejected it." EU country ambassadors to Slovakia openly revealed this position to ethnic Hungarian leaders prior to the adoption of the minority language law. "It was especially for this reason that the EU and Max van der Stoel [OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities] welcomed the law’s adoption and offered that they will support the adoption of another law in the future that expands native-language rights if we now accept the bill’s current version," wrote Csáky. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 27, 1999]

July 22, 1999

In their visit to The Hague, top Hungarian Coalition Party leaders — President Béla Bugár, Honorary President Miklós Duray and parliamentary faction leader Gyula Bárdos — expressed their disappointment over the recently-adopted minority language law [see report of July 10] to OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel and explained its shortcomings. While Van der Stoel reiterated that the adopted law "complies with European standards," he also pointed out that the legislative process concerning the status of national minorities has not yet concluded. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 23, 1999]

As the minority-language law [see report of July 10] will go into affect September 1 once President Rudolf Schuster signs it, the interior ministry has compiled a list of eligible communities that — based on a 1994 law —were allowed to post bilingual road signs. The list fails to include 13 predominantly Hungarian-inhabited towns such as Stúrovo/Párkány, Kolárovo/Guta, Jesenské/Feled, Sládkovicovo/Diószeg, Tesedíkovo/Pered and Gabcíkovo/B?s. An official from the government's department for minorities and human rights, Béla Angyal, called attention to the omission and added another 66 Roma-inhabited communities. The ethnic Hungarian official stated informed Új Szó that his department has begun to augment the list. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 22, 1999]

July 21, 1999

Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi expressed regret over the adoption of the minority language law [see report of July 10], pointing out that its provisions are obscure and inaccurate and it fails to provide broad native-language use for Slovakia's 600,000-strong ethnic Hungarian community. Martonyi noted that objections against the law would be addressed at the upcoming meeting of the two countries' bilateral committee, established by the 1995 Slovak-Hungarian Bilateral Agreement but convened for the first time under the current government of Mikulas Dzurinda last March. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 22, 1999]

In a letter to his Slovak counterpart Ján Figel, Hungarian Political State Secretary Zsolt Németh pointed out that the recently-adopted minority language law [see report of July 10] fails to comply with the 1995 Slovak-Hungarian Bilateral Agreement’s requirement to grant the 600,000-strong ethnic Hungarian community the right to use its native-language both in private and public life. The Hungarian government official called for the initiation of legal and administrative measures to fulfill the Hungarian minority's need for native language use, established in the bilateral agreement. Németh reminded that the Hungarian Coalition Party’s proposal included native-language use in education, culture, mass communication, economics and social functions such as weddings and funerals. "It would be also important to lower the currently 20 percent threshold of native language use in public administration and allow it at higher administrative districts as well, thereby extending native-language rights to an additional 80,000 ethnic Hungarians," Németh stressed. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 22, 1999]

July 19, 1999

In a statement, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel welcomed the minority language law, recently endorsed by Parliament [see report of July 10]. The high commissioner stated that the law is in compliance with both the Slovak constitution and international laws. The minority language law underscores the legitimacy of the government's minority policy and the Hungarian minority will now have the right to use its native language in official communication in at minimum 20 percent minority-inhabited communities, points out his statement. Member of the government — the Hungarian Coalition Party has appealed to President Rudolf Schuster not to sign the law into effect but return it to Parliament as it does not express the will of the majority of Hungarians. [Népszabadság (Budapest), Jul. 20, 1999]

July 13, 1999

After talks with President Rudolf Schuster who visited EU and NATO headquarters in Brussels, High Commissioner in charge of EU enlargement Hans van den Broek stated that with the adoption of minority-language law [see report of July 10] "the majority of previous concerns over the quality of Slovak democracy have been eliminated." However, the EU official also staid that independent experts will have to examine the new law. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Jul. 14, 1999]

July 12, 1999

In an interview with the Hungarian-language daily Új Szó, head of the government office's human rights and minority department Juraj Hrabko stated that even though the government's Council on National Minorities suggested that minority language bill be modified and the threshold for minority-language use be lowered to 10 percent, the government totally disregarded its proposals. The minority council also advised that the government adopt OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel's recommendations to broaden the scope of the bill "It is worse to adopt a law on minority-language use that does not have the approval of the minorities themselves than to adopt nothing at all," said Hrabko. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 12, 1999]

July 10, 1999

With 14 Hungarian Coalition Party (HCP) representatives unanimously voting against, the 150-seat Parliament adopted, in a vote of 70:18, the minority language bill submitted by three of the governing coalition's four parties. The law regulates native-language use in public offices in communities at least 20 percent minority inhabited. After the vote, the Hungarian Coalition Party's faction issued a statement detailing their position: (1) the law fails to reverse all the discriminatory provisions of the 1995 State Language Law; (2) since it restricts native-language use exclusively in the country's smaller administrative units, it prevents minority-language use at any higher — district or regional — levels; (3) the law contains procedural weaknesses such as permitting one objection at an openly-held local administration session — either on part of an official or a participant — to stop use of a minority language; (4) in order to sustain their ethnic identity, minorities could be constrained to acts of civil disobedience as was the case with the State Language Law under the Vladimír Meciar-led government; (5) the law does not respect international legal norms — such as the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Hungarian-Slovak Bilateral Agreement — that according to the Slovak Constitution take precedent over domestic laws. "The law was adopted even though HCP deputies and the government's minority council objected to it, failing to consider the fundamental and lawful aspirations of national minorities," holds the ethnic Hungarian party's statement. Adoption of a law on minority language use is a prime condition for Slovakia's EU membership. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) Jul. 12, 1999]

July 8, 1999

The Vladimír Meciar-led opposition Movement for Democratic Slovakia submitted a motion of no confidence against Deputy Prime Minister in charge of human rights, minorities and regional development Pál Csáky accusing him of failing to defend the rights of all national minorities. Parliament will debate the motion after its summer recess. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 9, 1999]

July 7, 1999

The second parliamentary reading of the government’s version of the minority language bill — not supported by the Hungarian Coalition Party — began today. Although none of the amendments submitted to each parliamentary committee by Hungarian MPs following yesterday’s voting was adopted, HCP President Béla Bugár expressed hope that provisions expanding language rights to cultural and educational areas would still garner support. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Jul. 8, 1999]

July 6, 1999

Honorary President of the Hungarian Coalition Party, Miklós Duray said at a press conference following the minority language bill's first reading, that the instrument does not, among others, conform to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities. In its present form, for example, language rights would not apply at the district or regional administrative levels, nor are vital education issues such as school documents and official business, nor teacher training, addressed. At another press conference, Péter Miklósi, press secretary for Deputy Prime Minister in charge of minorities and regional development Pál Csáky stated that the Hungarian Coalition Party’s own version of a minority language bill addresses the right to native-language use in cultural matters — the State Language Law interfering in this domain by prohibiting the right to hold events, meetings, and ceremonies exclusively in a minority language. "Although no one has yet been fined for renting a Hungarian-language video," it is on the books, concluded Miklósi. [Magyar Hírlap and Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Jul. 6, 1999]

With the 15 Hungarian Coalition Party (HCP) deputies abstaining from voting, the Parliament approved the first reading of the minority language bill proposed by three of the governing coalition's four parties in a vote of 74 to 49. [The coalition holds a majority in Parliament even without its fourth member, the Hungarian Coalition Party.] The bill fails to reverse all the discriminatory provisions of the 1995 State Language Law, restricting native-language use exclusively to public offices and in communities at least 20 percent minority-inhabited. Consequently, upon adoption, numerous smaller nationalities would fail to gain their right to native-language use. As ethnic Hungarian Deputy Lajos Mészáros pointed out, 158 minority-inhabited communities — 71 Roma, 38 Ruthenian, 25 Ukrainian, 5 German and 19 Hungarian — would benefit from lowering the threshold to ten percent. In an another round of voting, Parliament rejected — by 106:18 — HCP’s own version of the minority language bill that contains the 10 percent threshold and grants broader language rights. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 7, 1999]

July 2, 1999

The newly-elected Rector of the Konstantin University in Nitra/Nyitra, Daniel Kluvanec, plans to restore Hungarian-language instruction in special subjects, strengthen the Hungarian-language faculty by creating six new positions and, in the long-run, establish an independent minority- or Hungarian-language department. In 1996, outgoing Rector Peter Liba terminated Hungarian-language classes, citing the 1995 State Language Law, which resulted in the elimination of the Hungarian department [see report of March 11]. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) Jul. 6, 1999]

Head of the Nitra/Nyitra District Office’s Education Department Jozef Sonlajtner promised greater independence for the Hungarian-language section of the primary school in Jelenec/Gimes beginning Fall 1999, including decision-making power for the vice principal regarding personnel and organizational matters and greater autonomy for the parent association. Despite earlier promises, Sonlajtner failed to secure long-term authorization for a satellite Hungarian-language class of the Velky Cetín/Nagycétény primary school in Klasov/Kálaz, leaving ethnic Hungarian parents uncertain about their children’s Hungarian-language education. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 2, 1999]

July 1, 1999

Director of the Ministry of Culture’s Department for Minorities Gabriella Jarábik announced that as of July 1 legal status is being restored for the ethnic Hungarian Young Hearts musical ensemble whose property was seized by the former Minister of Culture Ivan Hudec [see report of March 18]. Acting Director Margit Karaba has been entrusted with managerial responsibilities until the appointment of a new director. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jul. 3, 1999]