The legal and institutional framework for national minorities in Slovakia

english

2010

education 

Inštitut za narodnostna vprašanja
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

This study is part of a much more extensive research on the "Practices of Minority Protection in Central Europe" and it is based mainly on a detailed review of the Slovak legislation and of the existing literature on national minorities in this country. Firstly, I shall clarify what is a "national minority" in Slovakia. In addition to comparative statistical data, the study provides a concise presentation of the demographic trends and the territorial distribution of the officially recognized national minorities. A historical overview is essential for the understanding of the present context; therefore,the study follows in parallel fashion the situation of Hungarian, Roma and German minority groups from the end of World War I until today. Secondly, the study presents the Slovak legal and institutional framework in the fields of education, use of languages and political participation and it addresses some of the most sensitive minority related issues in the country. The conclusions emphasize the need for legislative changes in all three inter-connected fields analyzed, and explain the current trend of majority - minorities cooperation based on a consensus oriented political culture.

05.11.2014