Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s rejection of Ferenc Gyurcsany’s proposals regarding ethnic minority issues is “very regrettable”, Hungary’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday.
Katalin Szili met Slovak counterpart Pavol Paska in Komarom earlier in the day but said they did not discuss Fico’s announcement in connection with the Hungarian prime minsiter’s proposals aimed at mending relations between the two countries.
Paska insisted that Fico had given the right response and his rejection was logical.
“It is not our belief that the Hungarian requests were not already being fulfilled,” he said. “The Slovak state guarantees the protection of all ethnic minorities, including Hungarians,” he added.
Fico announced on Wednesday that he had rejected Gyurcsany’s six proposals on Hungarian ethnic issues presented at their meeting in Komarno on November 15.
“The rights of Hungarian minorities are guaranteed by the constitution and other laws,” said Fico. Slovakia’s system for the protection of ethnic minorities is “one of the best in Europe,” he added.
“We see no reason whatsoever to approve a new law on the protection of ethnic minorities,” Fico said. “Slovakia is already abundantly financing Hungarian ethnic schools, educational institutions and therefore rejects the proposal to increase funding to ethnic Hungarians,” he added.
Fico said he was resolutely against Gyurcsany’s proposal that textbooks published in the mother country should be freely used in ethnic minority schools in one another’s countries.
Fico also rejected Gyurcsany proposal that a national minority ethical code should be approved by politicians in both countries, and a court of honour should be set up to assess the actions of those who violate this code. Fico said the legal system in Slovakia was strong and setting up such a body would not lead anywhere.
Fico also rejected Gyurcsany’s proposal for the two countries to jointly initiate independent examinations if the rights of ethnic minorities are violated in either country. He said he believed the Slovak-Hungarian mixed committee was functioning well.
Fico said the Hungarian proposal to amend or annul a Slovak law that prohibits the use of other countries’ national symbols at sport events was unacceptable.
