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Fico Pooh-Poohs Creation of Hungarian Fund to Pay for Language Fines
Monday 01 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 1 (TASR) - Premier Robert Fico on Monday played down as part of the local election campaign the plans of Hungary to set up a fund to pay for the fines imposed on its minority members in Slovakia for using their mother tongue in violation of the state language law pushed through Fico's Cabinet last year.
Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said on Thursday that the Hungarian Government will earmark 50 million forint or €184,000 plus as financial assistance for Hungarian minority organisations and individuals living in Slovakia which will be fined for breaking the state language law.
"Currently, we are not paying much attention to it," Fico told reporters.
Slovakia's Culture Ministry described Hungarian plans as interference in its country's internal affairs.
Co-ruling SNS deputy chairwoman Anna Belousovova is confident it is necessary to take a legal action against Hungary with an international court as that country thus incites Slovak citizens to civil disobedience. The fund, if established, should be countered by a tough international response, she said.
Belousovova called for Parliament to adopt a resolution ordering the Slovak Government to sue Hungary before the International Court of Justice.
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