Slovakia has dismissed protests by neighbouring Hungary over a new language law which would impose fines for using minority languages.
The Slovak foreign minister said "it's necessary to return this hysterical atmosphere - which hasn't been caused by the Slovak side - to normal".
Miroslav Lajcak was speaking after Hungarian MPs on Monday jointly urged Slovakia to rescind the language law. Slovakia's 5.4 million population includes more than 500,000 Hungarians.
The law, due to come into effect on 1 September, envisages fines of up to 5,000 euros (£4,315) for people who use minority languages in public services. It would apply in cases where the minority forms less than 20% of the local population.
Janos Koka, leader of the liberal Free Democrats (SZDSZ) party group in the Hungarian parliament, said "what we need is a diplomatic offensive so that this law is rescinded before it comes into force on 1 September".
In the European Parliament last week a deaf Hungarian MEP, Adam Kosa, used sign language to protest against the Slovak law.
Monday 27 July 2009
Friday 17 July 2009
Search on for most beautiful Hungarian words
The Balassi Institute of Hungarian culture has called a public vote to find out which Hungarian words people find the most attractive and which ones they would like to preserve for the use of future generations, national daily Magyar Nemzet reported on Thursday.
The word contest, which follows earlier Hungarian and international examples, is “important and useful fun” in that it raises public awareness of the mother tongue, the paper quoted linguist Geza Balazs as saying.
People can cast their votes electronically, or personally at a bus which the institute is sending around the country.
Though the polls will only be closed in November, interim results of the contest are available from the web page. The word which has received the most support so far is szerelem (’serelem’-love), followed by édesanya (’eideshanya’-mother) and szabadság (’sabadshaag’-freedom). Sweet-sounding cipőfűző (’tsipoefhewzoe’-shoelace) is number nine in the competition.
The initiative is part of the Year of Hungarian Language 2009 programme, marking the 250th anniversary of revered language reformer and author Ferenc Kazinczy.
The word contest, which follows earlier Hungarian and international examples, is “important and useful fun” in that it raises public awareness of the mother tongue, the paper quoted linguist Geza Balazs as saying.
People can cast their votes electronically, or personally at a bus which the institute is sending around the country.
Though the polls will only be closed in November, interim results of the contest are available from the web page. The word which has received the most support so far is szerelem (’serelem’-love), followed by édesanya (’eideshanya’-mother) and szabadság (’sabadshaag’-freedom). Sweet-sounding cipőfűző (’tsipoefhewzoe’-shoelace) is number nine in the competition.
The initiative is part of the Year of Hungarian Language 2009 programme, marking the 250th anniversary of revered language reformer and author Ferenc Kazinczy.
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