Slovak Hungarians protest at new language law

The great Slovakia preserving International Law with the Kosovo case, while it breaks fundamental human rights of its own citizens. Ron, what do you have to say on this?

Geoff, Hungarians in Slovakia make about 10% of total population of 5.4 Million plus there are other minorities also, like: Roma, Czechs, Ukrainian, etc. ((Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census))
A bit different from Quebec, these populations are spread throughout Slovakia (of course in some areas they are more concentrated), now imagine, in accordance with the new law, they will be fined if caught speaking their own language in public offices and institutions. I personally have nothing against Slovakians, but what really surprises me is that an EU member country enforces such a law. EU countries and EU as a whole are always quick at criticizing and mentoring others, while they themselves discriminate minorities. I’ve had the chance to travel throughout Slovakia and I was really saddened to see the conditions Roma population lives, and hear about the prejudices and maltreatment they face in everyday life.
Maybe it sounds strangely but Kosovo is much better than Slovakia in this regard. In Kosovo, for example, besides Albanians, who are the majority ((Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosnian, Gorani, Roma, Turk, Ashkali, Egyptian)) and you know what there are two national wide official languages Albanian and Serbian (besides English which is also official language with all internationals there) plus in the areas where other minorities are more concentrated their language is also official, and they are free to address to whoever they want at public offices, including here the president or the prime minister, in their own language.

Geoff,

You forget one thing. The place in question is ancient Hunarian land, only the border was shifted due to dirty deals of superpowers after WW1.

The article wrongly states that Hungary ruled Slovakia before. Slovakia never existed before, it was founded in 1993, as a secession from Czechoslovakia, which was also a new formation that never existed before the XXth century.

Secondly, this affects pure Hungarian populated areas where Hungarian doctors cannot talk to each other in Hungarian during surgery, or when a Hungarian goes to renew his driving licence etc must use Slovak to communicate with the Hungarian clerk.

I bet French speaking doctors can communicate in French in Quebec. Right?

pz, hruz
i must have missed something in the article because I didn't know about the implications on personal of language choice in public forums. i have no problem with official languages, and even the peoples not willing to budge and speak anything other than their chosen official language -- though i find it highly annoying -- but this is different.

Not a very good move by Slovakia, I think.

Sure, the official language of the country should only be Slovak, but municipalities where Hungarians and other minorities are living should be bilingual.

They can learn from Poland, where only Polish is official everywhere and only Polish, but we have gminas in the Województwo Opolskie and Œl¹skie where they use also German, for our German citizens, we also have gminas in the Województwo Pomorskie where they also use Kaszubian, for our native Kaszubs, and the Województwo Podlaskie, where they use also Lithuanian and Belarussian, though I am not sure why they don't have Ukrainian, since we have so many living in Poland, I think that it's because most Ukrainians (I know also from experience with them) understand or speak very good Polish.

Minorities are important and should be shown respect, but this is vice versa too!

Pz,
not sure what you're beef is with Slovakia. They're certainly not winning any friends by doing this, but I can take Canada as an example of a place where as in the province of Quebec everything is in french. There is no english use or acceptance outside of Montreal. In Canada english speaking citizens out number the french speaking by 4or5 to 1.
So, as a native english this highly offends me too, but I've learned to live with it. I know that if I choose to live or visit this part of my country I will be forced to speak the language that is officially recognized by the citizens and the government of the province. As much as this stinks for the Hungarian minority in Slovakia, they too now have a choice to assimilate or leave, or fight a political fight.

Pz,
not sure what you're beef is with Slovakia. They're certainly not winning any friends by doing this, but I can take Canada as an example of a place where as in the province of Quebec everything is in french. There is no english use or acceptance outside of Montreal. In Canada english speaking citizens out number the french speaking by 4or5 to 1.
So, as a native english this highly offends me too, but I've learned to live with it. I know that if I choose to live or visit this part of my country I will be forced to speak the language that is officially recognized by the citizens and the government of the province. As much as this stinks for the Hungarian minority in Slovakia, they too now have a choice to assimilate or leave, or fight a political fight.

Geoff,

You forget one thing. The place in question is ancient Hunarian land, only the border was shifted due to dirty deals of superpowers after WW1.

The article wrongly states that Hungary ruled Slovakia before. Slovakia never existed before, it was founded in 1993, as a secession from Czechoslovakia, which was also a new formation that never existed before the XXth century.

Secondly, this affects pure Hungarian populated areas where Hungarian doctors cannot talk to each other in Hungarian during surgery, or when a Hungarian goes to renew his driving licence etc must use Slovak to communicate with the Hungarian clerk.

I bet French speaking doctors can communicate in French in Quebec. Right?

Geoff, Hungarians in Slovakia make about 10% of total population of 5.4 Million plus there are other minorities also, like: Roma, Czechs, Ukrainian, etc. ((Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census))
A bit different from Quebec, these populations are spread throughout Slovakia (of course in some areas they are more concentrated), now imagine, in accordance with the new law, they will be fined if caught speaking their own language in public offices and institutions. I personally have nothing against Slovakians, but what really surprises me is that an EU member country enforces such a law. EU countries and EU as a whole are always quick at criticizing and mentoring others, while they themselves discriminate minorities. I’ve had the chance to travel throughout Slovakia and I was really saddened to see the conditions Roma population lives, and hear about the prejudices and maltreatment they face in everyday life.
Maybe it sounds strangely but Kosovo is much better than Slovakia in this regard. In Kosovo, for example, besides Albanians, who are the majority ((Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosnian, Gorani, Roma, Turk, Ashkali, Egyptian)) and you know what there are two national wide official languages Albanian and Serbian (besides English which is also official language with all internationals there) plus in the areas where other minorities are more concentrated their language is also official, and they are free to address to whoever they want at public offices, including here the president or the prime minister, in their own language.

The great Slovakia preserving International Law with the Kosovo case, while it breaks fundamental human rights of its own citizens. Ron, what do you have to say on this?

Not a very good move by Slovakia, I think.

Sure, the official language of the country should only be Slovak, but municipalities where Hungarians and other minorities are living should be bilingual.

They can learn from Poland, where only Polish is official everywhere and only Polish, but we have gminas in the Województwo Opolskie and Œl¹skie where they use also German, for our German citizens, we also have gminas in the Województwo Pomorskie where they also use Kaszubian, for our native Kaszubs, and the Województwo Podlaskie, where they use also Lithuanian and Belarussian, though I am not sure why they don't have Ukrainian, since we have so many living in Poland, I think that it's because most Ukrainians (I know also from experience with them) understand or speak very good Polish.

Minorities are important and should be shown respect, but this is vice versa too!

pz, hruz
i must have missed something in the article because I didn't know about the implications on personal of language choice in public forums. i have no problem with official languages, and even the peoples not willing to budge and speak anything other than their chosen official language -- though i find it highly annoying -- but this is different.