The controversial State Language Act has finally come into force despite the protests of the Hungarian community and the worsening of relations between Bratislava and Budapest. Thousands of Hungarians from Slovakia gathered at the football stadium of Dunaszerdahely, a south western town with Hungarian majority, while several members of the European parliament demonstrated at the Slovakian embassy in Brusselles, EBLUL's website reports.

The law regulates the use and the public presence of the Slovak language in institutions and public domains. The most contentious aspect refers to the obligation of using Slovak in hospitals, schools and State offices, and the €5,000 fine for those civil servants breaking the law. The government of Slovakia has assured that the law is up to European standards, while the minister of culture has said that it does not punish minority language speakers, but guarantees the "the right to obtain public information on the territory of Slovakia in the state language". The only international institution commenting on the legislation has been the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which has declared that the law "respects the rights of minorities", but has noted "the concerns and risks" related to its enforcement.

The Hungarian community, who makes up 10% of Slovakia's population, regards the law as a bid to eradicate its culture. Yesterday's demonstration was organized by the largest Hungarian party in the country, the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), and a number of non-governmental organisations. BBC quotes SMK official Peter Pazmany as saying that the law "makes no sense... [it] only creates tension between people who have lived peacefully side by side". A few weeks earlier, Pazmany's party had released a report detailing their opposition to the law based on several covenants and international reports such as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) and the report of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on Slovakia.

The Hungarian government, which has seen relations with Slovakia worsen after president of Hungary was not allowed to enter Slovak territory to pay tribute to King Stephen I of Hungary last week, has also protested. However, both governments have announced they will meet soon to "to leave behind this conflict-ridden situation as soon as possible", Budapest Times reports.

Picture: Percentage of Hungarian population in Slovakia: in red, 50-100%; in yellow, 10-50%, in blue, 0-10% (Wikipedia).

Further information:

• Radio Slovakia International: Several Thousands Rallied Against Language Law
• Politics.hu: Thousands protest in Dunaszerda
• BBC: Protests over Slovak language law