BRATISLAVA, March 1, (WEBNOVINY) – As of Tuesday, the new version of the state language law is in effect, which softens the sanctions and mitigates some of the provisions of the law adopted in the era of Robert Fico. New rules eliminate the obligation of the Culture Ministry to impose fines for violations of the law and reduce the possible fines. The trespassers will be fined 50 euros at minimum while 2,500 euro is the maximum possible fine.
According to the new wording of the law, fines can only be imposed in cases, when information regarding public administration, threats to life, health, safety or property of Slovak citizens is not published in the state language. The provision, according to which the Ministry of Culture had to approve texts on monuments and memorials and thus supervise meeting the provisions of the law, was abolished.
The law does not require bilingual documentation in schools and other educational facilities, where a minority language is used. The amendment also abolished fines for occasional publications in a minority language published for cultural purposes, such as museum and gallery catalogues or theater programs.
The law which has come into force on March 1 was adopted by the Parliament at the end of 2010, but President Ivan Gasparovic vetoed it. Thus, the Parliament had to discuss it again in February 2011. Lawmakers overrode the presidential veto and failed to approve Gasparovic’s proposal that the sanctions remain obligatory.
The adoption of the language law under the previous government in 2009 prompted a wave of negative reactions from Hungary and some international organizations. The Hungarian Parliament demanded the law to be abolished, as it supposedly negatively influences the Hungarian minority. The Hungarian representatives often misinterpreted the law, for example the then Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai claimed that Hungarians in Slovakia might be fined for listening to Hungarian holy service.
SITA