Hungary welcomes a Monday statement by the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe concerning OSCE’s mediation in the Hungary-Slovakia dispute over the latter’s contested language law, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry told MTI.
The ministry’s statement quoted Knut Vollebaek as saying that OSCE would “participate in the process” until Slovakia upgrades its minority language law to be at the same level as that country’s state language act, which Hungary considers as one in conflict with the ethnic minorities’ right to use their mother tongue.
Earlier on Monday, Vollebaek issued a statement concerning the implementation guidelines to the Slovak law, and said that though the guidelines are necessary, they should protect the right to use ethnic minority languages both in private and in public life.
Similarly to the Hungarian position, the High Commissioner thinks that the fines to be imposed on those using their native language are the “most delicate” point in the Slovak law, the ministry’s statement said.
Over the last months Hungarian politicians and medias have repetitively demonstrated how vivid their imagination can be.
This “interpretation” of the Commissioner’s statement is, however, really something.
http://www.osce.org/item/42279.html
Quote:
It is essential that steps taken to promote the State Language do not undermine linguistic rights of persons belonging to national minorities. The Government Principles for the Implementation of the State Language Law provide for the respect of principles of non-discrimination and proportionality and should thus safeguard the right of persons belonging to national minorities to use their mother tongue in the private and public sphere.