Friday

29th Mar 2024

Opinion

We need to talk

It was a turbulent summer for Slovakia and Hungary. The mutual relationship cooled to the extent that it was dubbed the worst bilateral relationship between any two EU members. And questions started to arise whether it was wise to have proceeded with the 2004 enlargement of the EU, admitting such unruly neighbours who cannot solve their differences quietly among themselves.

Well, it would be wrong to project our bilateral dispute with Hungary on to the European level. On the contrary, the EU membership of our countries should be a guarantee that we can find mature and responsible answers to all the outstanding questions, without escalating our differences into outright confrontation.

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  • Mr Lajcak: "I am sorry that Europe has been bothered by our dispute" (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic)

So, what happened to Slovak-Hungarian relations over the summer? First, a huge defamation campaign was started against Slovakia in July because of the amended State Language Act.

Then in August, Slovakia decided to take the unprecedented step of not granting the Hungarian president the right to enter Slovak territory. This occurred when he wanted to proceed with a highly provocative and insensitive visit on an especially sensitive date.

The idea ignored the repeated recommendations and requests of Slovak representatives (and not just Slovak representatives) not to come to Slovakia under these particular circumstances. The combined effect of this and the reaction to it reached our European partners and raised a few eyebrows.

Language dispute

The State Language Act was described by its critics as a "language holocaust, the worst attack on minorities since Bosnia, apartheid" etc.

Listening to Hungarian media and politicians, one could easily get the impression that Slovakia had joined the axis of evil and wanted to eliminate its Hungarian minority. This is by the way just one of 14 minorities in Slovakia and all but one of the minorities support the amended law.

The law guarantees to every Slovak citizen that he or she is provided with information in the public domain also in the state language. Its critics knowingly and deliberately left out the key word "also" and raised an outcry that Slovakia wants to prohibit the use of minority languages, wants to penalise people for not speaking Slovak.

The machinery of propaganda and lies was successful to the extent that despite two months of our efforts in explaining the legislation and denying false claims about it, the highest representatives of Hungary were quoted just few days ago as saying that if you spoke Hungarian during a church service or a medical health check in Slovakia you might be fined up to the €5,000.

This is pure nonsense. The law concerns neither these cases nor the private conversations of minorities. The OSCE's High Commissioner for national minorities stated that the State Language Act pursues a legitimate aim and is - overall - in line with international standards. We continue to work with the OSCE on the implementation of the law in order to prevent any misinterpretations.

But despite all this, our Hungarian friends keep pushing this issue to the attention of all our other partners within the EU. When they were told by the presidents of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Swedish EU presidency that this needs to be solved bilaterally, as Slovakia has been saying from the start, they turned their attention to the United States of America.

Restarting the dialogue

Let me be clear on this. Slovakia is a democratic country with a responsible attitude. We will not allow ourselves to be pushed into the position of being the bad pupil in the class, where a teacher, judge or intermediary needs to intervene.

Slovakia and Hungary are both in the EU and NATO. We believe our two countries are capable of solving their differences in the framework of their bilateral mechanisms and institutions.

I am sorry that Europe has been bothered by our dispute. We aspire to prove that we are mature democracies attached to European beliefs and values. As such, we should be able to resolve any problems before they drag us both down to the ground. And especially so, if our bilateral disputes could harm the wider European idea.

That's why we, in Slovakia, are - as we have always been - ready to discuss with our partners about anything, anytime and anywhere.

We know that the only way forward leads through dialogue and not through ignorance. We hope to restart the dialogue on Thursday (10 September) when the Slovak and Hungarian prime ministers finally meet.

We need to talk as equal, normal partners. And not JUST this Thursday, When we are in the full spotlight of our European partners.

Miroslav Lajcak is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

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