Slovakia: Fascism and nationalism
01 January 1991
Slovakia: Fascism and nationalism
artdoc July=1994
Nationalists brought into coalition government
The Slovak National Party have been invited to join the new
coalition government. Six political parties, and groups from left
and right, formed a new government in March following a vote of
no confidence in the ruling Movement for Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS).
The SNS is led by Jan Slota who has recently made remarks
against Jews, Hungarians and Czechs that have led to
international criticism. He accuses ethnic Hungarians of turning
Slovaks into a minority in southern Slovakia; he has attacked the
government of the Czech Republic for embezzling former federal
property - and his attitude toward the Russian nationalist
Zhirinovsky is also causing concern The Hungarian minority of
southern Slovakia, for their part, have called for the creation
of a self-governing province in the area. The Hungarians insist
that they are not calling for an autonomous state or for
integration with Hungary but that they have been forced into
demanding their own self-governing region because constant pleas
for new laws safeguarding minority rights have fallen on deaf
ears.
IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 8, May 1994. Contact:Liz
Fekete, Insitute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X
9HS. Tel: 071 837 0041