The opposition Slovak National Party (SNS) filed a motion with the Interior Ministry on Wednesday, April 20, asking it to examine the legality of József Berényi's election to the post of chairman of the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) at its party congress on Saturday, April 16.
In its motion the SNS points to the fact that, according to the law on political parties and movements, the statutory organ or member of a party can be a citizen who is aged 18 or more with unlimited legal capacity. "As far as we know, József Berényi has applied for citizenship of another state on his own and confessed this fact," the SNS commented, as quoted by the SITA newswire. According to the current law, passed by the previous government led by Robert Fico in coalition with the SNS, Slovak citizens automatically lose their Slovak citizenship if they acquire that of another country, although there are some exceptions to the rule.
Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic promised to look into the case, hinting that the statements of individual citizens about having received foreign citizenship cannot always be accepted at face value.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
