A letter sent by European Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen to Hungarian PM Peter Medgyessy criticises Budapest’s controversial status law for being both discriminatory and interfering with the sovereignty of foreign countries.
In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Lászlo Kovács abandoned defence of the law, saying “we cannot allow these opinions to go unnoticed”.
Verheugen’s position is identical to that of Slovakia, which has refused to allow the law to apply to ethnic Hungarians living on its territory. The Hungarian parliament awaits an amended draft version of the law that would remove the greatest obstacles to its acceptance by regional neighbours.
Compiled by Tom Nicholson from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
