The High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Knut Vollebaek, published a statement on January 4 on the guidelines on implementation of the Slovak State Language Law, which came into force on the first day of the year. According to his judgement the guidelines were necessary for the law’s implementation. At the same time, Mr Vollebaek expects that the guidelines on implementation protect those rights of the minorities in Slovakia, which ensure the use of their mother tongue both in private and in public.

The High Commissioner instructed the Slovak authorities to closely monitor and analyse the law’s implementation. Like the Government of Hungary, the High Commissioner regards imposing fines to be the most contentious part of the law and the guidelines on implementation.

Fines could seriously restrict the use of the minority language. Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai of Hungary has already declared that his government will provide material and legal assistance to persons inflicted under Slovak State Language Law if penalties are imposed.

The Hungarian government welcomes the High Commissioner’s assurance that he would remain engaged in the matter – in accordance with the Szécsény agreement of the Hungarian and Slovak prime ministers dated September 10, 2009 – until strengthening the Slovak Law on Minority Languages in order to restitute a balance in the protection of linguistic interests of the majority and the minorities and, further, until Slovakia passes a comprehensive law on the protection of minorities.

The Hungarian government is keeping to the Szécsény agreement, which sets out the acceptance and implementation of all elements of the opinion issued by Mr Vollebaek on July 22, 2009. It further expects that the High Commissioner will undertake his role to certify all of the above.

(January 4, 2010)