Slovakia: Where everyone speaks Slovak—or else

László Tamás Papp

Heti Világgazdaság (Hungary)

Slovakia is surging with anti-Hungarian sentiment, said László Tamás Papp. In a fit of “nationalist demagoguery,” the Slovak government has just outlawed the speaking of anything but Slovak in most government offices and places of business—a move that’s clearly aimed at the 20 percent of the citizens who are ethnic Hungarians. This means that “from now on Hungarian doctors will be forced to address their Hungarian patients in Slovak, even if both parties would prefer to converse in Hungarian.” The law allows for Hungarian to be spoken at cultural events, but with the “surreal” stipulation that all jokes be repeated in Slovak. Hungarian-language schools are still allowed, but they must conduct their administration in Slovak.

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It’s obvious what’s going on here. Slovakia is experiencing an economic downturn, and what better way to distract the people from a shortage of bread than by “serving up a side dish of nationalism?” But it’s a dangerous tack: Historically, such language laws in Eastern Europe often have preceded worse types of oppression and even pogroms.

Unfortunately, the EU has so far reacted with only “mumbled complaints and a halfhearted offer to arbitrate.” Sterner action is needed. Slovakia is in danger of becoming “a delinquent state—and that will result in dire and bloody consequences for Slovaks as well as Hungarians.”