Bratislava, July 29 (TASR) – The amendment to the Act on State Language that the Slovak Parliament adopted at its session in June is malevolent, and puts one group of citizens to a stressful situation, opposition KDH MEP Anna Zaborska told TASR on Wednesday.

“Since the law isn’t unambiguous, and it’s possible to explain it in various ways, it puts a certain group of citizens in a permanently stressful situation, where they can never know how it will be interpreted,” she said, adding that minority citizens will not be able to estimate the reactions of various institutions. “This is not a good minority policy,” she emphasised.

However, Smer-SD MEP Monika Flasikova-Benova was disappointed by Zaborska’s stance, as Flasikova-Benova tried to persuade Slovak MEPs about the need to jointly defend how the amendment establishes rules for using the state and minority languages in official contacts, at schools with lessons in minority language, but also, for instance, while creating inscriptions on monuments.

They have no problems with the State Language Act in the socialist faction, of which Smer-SD is also a part. However, members of the European People’s Party (EPP) – of which also Hungarian Fidesz is a member, as well as Slovakia’s Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), and Romanian minority parties – want to discuss it. SDKU-DS is also a member of EPP and, with respect to Slovakia’s former premier Mikulas Dzurinda, is relatively influential, as is KDH, Flasikova-Benova says.

“Based on the latest stances of Mrs. Zaborska, I didn’t have a feeling that she understands the situation, or, if she understands it, it’s more important for her to criticise the Slovak Government than to make moves against some of Fidesz’s declarations, for instance,” concluded Flasikova-Benova.
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Page last updated at 09:59 GMT, Wednesday, 22 July 2009 10:59 UK

Slovakia has dismissed protests by neighbouring Hungary over a new language law which would impose fines for using minority languages.

The Slovak foreign minister said “it’s necessary to return this hysterical atmosphere – which hasn’t been caused by the Slovak side – to normal”.

Miroslav Lajcak was speaking after Hungarian MPs on Monday jointly urged Slovakia to rescind the language law.

Slovakia’s 5.4 million population includes more than 500,000 Hungarians.

The law, due to come into effect on 1 September, envisages fines of up to 5,000 euros (£4,315) for people who use minority languages in public services. It would apply in cases where the minority forms less than 20% of the local population.

Hungarian anger
Janos Koka, leader of the liberal Free Democrats (SZDSZ) party group in the Hungarian parliament, said “what we need is a diplomatic offensive so that this law is rescinded before it comes into force on 1 September”.

In the European Parliament last week a deaf Hungarian MEP, Adam Kosa, used sign language to protest against the Slovak law.
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Bratislava, July 21 (TASR) – The State Language Act amendment approved by the Slovak Parliament last month is in line with Slovakia’s international commitments and pursues legitimate goals, Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak said at a press conference on Tuesday in which he interpreted a related evaluation by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek.

“(Vollebaek’s) office also said that the sanction measures contained in the amendment are in line with the international standards. At the same time, it proposes their careful interpretation and exhorts Slovakia to specify the terminology of the law via directives in order to avoid any misinterpretations,” said Lajcak, noting that this evaluation has been drawn up by the most appropriate institution (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) in the area of ethnic minorities. Lajcak stressed that the commissioner hasn’t asked to change one iota in the amendment.

Lajcak went on to say that in light of this evaluation, the recent anti-Slovak campaign takes an even more heinous form. “A question has arisen as to whether the expert basis of the Hungarian diplomacy was really convinced about its criticism to be justified, and whether it was aware of its shaky foundations, so the noise was supposed to overlay the lack of factual arguments, in order to comply with a political order,” said Lajcak.

Hungary’s Parliamentary Chair Katalin Szili on Monday sent her Slovak counterpart Pavol Paska a joint declaration of Hungarian parliamentary parties calling on Slovakia to withdraw the amendment to the State Language Act. Alliance of Free Democrats–Hungarian Liberal Party chairman Janos Koka, who has been one of the signatories of the declaration, said that it is necessary to use all diplomatic means and those of international law available to cajole Slovakia into rescinding the amendment before it enters into force in September.

Source: http://www.tasr.sk/30.axd?k=20090721TBB00557

2009-07-18 06:46:58

BUDAPEST, July 17 (Xinhua) — Voicing its “disappointment” that Slovakia’s president signed a “state language” bill into law, Hungarian Foreign Ministry vowed on Friday to turn to international forums to fight for repeal of the law.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the law discriminates against Hungarian residents of Slovakia and violates international norms.

The law, adopted by Slovakia’s parliament on June 30, and signed on Friday by President Ivan Gasparovic, declares the Slovak language to be the country’s “language of public contact” and requires that it, and Slovak place names be used in all public affairs.

Local reports said the law, which goes into effect in September, also bans use of the Hungarian language in health care and welfare facilities unless at least 20 percent of the local population is Hungarian. It calls for sanctioning improper use of the Slovak language or other violations of the law with fines of up to 5,000 euros (about 7,045 U.S. dollars).

The Foreign Ministry called the law ominous and a violation of European norms and responsibilities. It raised the issue at a meeting of the Hungarian-Slovak Joint Committee on Minorities which met in Budapest earlier in the day, and plans to continue negotiations in the Hague next week, with Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek as mediator.
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Bratislava, July 5 (TASR) – Saints Cyril and Methodius brought to the territory of Slovakia an alphabet that allowed people to write the first works in the language of the old Slovaks and Slavs, Prime Minister Robert Fico stressed in his speech at celebrations to mark the feast of the saints at Devin Castle on Sunday.

“The language became the necessary glue of Slovaks,” said Fico.

“Protection of the Slovak state language must be the first pillar of every Slovak government’s programme. It is namely the way to defend oneself from the dangerous irredentism that has been breathed from over the Danube (River) ever more strongly,” claimed Fico in a clear reference to Hungary.

“Old Slovaks have had roots in Central Europe for 15 centuries,” said Fico, adding that he believes that Great Moravian King Svatopluk will be commemorated by a statue at Bratislava Castle. “As the Hungarians have their St. Stephen, the Czechs their St. Wenceslas, the Slovaks have Svatopluk,” said Fico.

The premier pointed out that July 5 is also the day of Slovaks living abroad. “Today, we’re symbolically embracing all Slovaks around the world,” he stated, pointing to Slovaks living in Serbia’s region of Vojvodina, Australia and other EU-member countries in particular.

Source: http://www.tasr.sk/30.axd?k=20090705TBB00361

Dabas-Sara, July 4 (TASR) – As Hungary’s objections to Slovakia’s State Language Act weren’t accepted by Bratislava, a uncertainty has arisen and the new situation has to be considered by Budapest with respect to the possible meeting between the two countries’ premiers, Hungary’s Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said after an informal meeting with Slovak Deputy Premier Dusan Caplovic in Hungarian village of Dabas-Sara on Saturday.

In a speech at an event marking the Day of Slovaks in Hungary Bajnai stressed the importance of care for ethnic minorities, which includes allowing them to maintain their traditions and language, as Hungary does vis-a-vis its Slovak minority. Bajnai said that he also told his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico about his concerns on imposing fines against anybody for using their mother tongue.

Bajnai stressed that Hungary is still interested in a bilateral meeting with the Slovak side, but this meeting shouldn’t be viewed as a goal but rather as a means. Such a meeting has a sense only if it is possible to resolve existing problems and submit new initiatives, said the Hungarian chief executive.

“The fact that our remarks to the language bill haven’t been taken into account has brought an element of uncertainty; now we have to consider how to go on,” said Bajnai.

Caplovic, whose remit also includes affairs of ethnic-minorities, proposed to Bajnai to act quickly and to convene a mixed Slovak-Hungarian commission for ethnic minorities. This body should discuss Hungary’s objections against the State Language Act and submit them for talks at the meeting between the two premiers.

“Bajnai’s background papers have been from before a month, it’s necessary to get acquainted with the new wording of the bill when it will be published – that it doesn’t do any harm to any ethnic minority living in Slovakia, including the Hungarian one,” Caplovic told TASR.

Source: http://www.tasr.sk/30.axd?k=20090704TBB00182

Bratislava, July 2 (TASR) – Slovak Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paska will as early as Thursday send his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Szili a letter stating that the thorny amendment to the State Language Act “has nothing to do whatsoever with any sophisticated attack, not only when it comes to the Hungarian, but any other minority living in Slovakia,” TASR learnt earlier in the day.

The legislation that was passed by the Slovak Parliament on Tuesday has attracted criticism from the Hungarian Foreign Affairs Ministry as well as Hungarian opposition party Fidesz. The ministry expressed regret over the move, labelling it as questionable from the political point of view and adding that it raises concerns vis-a-vis several issues as far as international law is concerned.

Paska added that, with the same goal in mind, he has already met ambassadors of EU-member countries and representatives of the U.S. embassy in Slovakia. “Along with Culture Minister Marek Madaric I explained our stances to them and endeavoured to clear up a great deal of misinterpretation and mistaken attitudes,” said Paska.

According to him, however, the Hungarian side is still reluctant to accept that the law was adopted to people’s benefit.

At the same time, he said that he refuses to maintain the tension in bilateral relations and will continue to strive for good Slovak-Hungarian ties instead. “This tension benefits nobody. I’m using all ways possible to eliminate the pressure that’s coming down,” said the House chairman.

The observance of the rules regarding the use of the state language has come under the stricter supervision of the Culture Ministry after Parliament approved the amendment. The legislation, which was backed by 76 of the 136 MPs present in the parliamentary chamber, also introduced sanctions for breaking the rules of standard Slovak in official communications.

Source: http://www.tasr.sk/30.axd?k=20090702TBB00350