Language Research

Updated (October 2005)

15^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OFFICE FOR NATIONAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES OF HUNGARY

In August 2005, the Office for National and Ethnic Minorities of Hungary celebrated its 15^th anniversary. The Office, which is the main governmental organization dealing with minority issues in the country, was set up in 1990, by Government Decree No 34/1990 (VIII.30) in order to meet government's responsibilities related to the national and ethnic minorities in Hungary.

This independent state administrative body with a national sphere of authority is involved in the preparation of amendments and in the drafting of government programs designed to implement minority acts. Its objective is to promote the language, identity, traditions and the cultural heritage of minorities, to evaluate their situation and enforce their rights. The Office, therefore, watches over the application of the Act LXXVII of 1993 on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities¹.

The Office also continues² to manage finance for minority self-governments, it takes over and maintains already existing minority educational or cultural institutions and founds new ones. In 2005, funds available for this purpose amounted to 1,8 million Euros (HUF 440 million³) when eleven out of the thirteen minority communities had applied and obtained the financial assistance. The sum was planed to be spent, among other projects and institutions, on the German Theatre, the National Roma Museum, the Research Institute of the Slovaks of Hungary, a Croatian-language radio that will broadcast its programs through the Internet, on the enlargement of the Museum and Archives of the Poles and the reconstruction of the Bulgarian Cultural Center.

Source: Mercator News, September 2005, http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/index-gb.htm and Minelres News, the Office for National and Ethnic Minorities, Budapest, Hungary, Selection of news on national and ethnic minorities in Hungary, July - August 2005, http://lists.delfi.lv/pipermail/minelres/2005-August/004175.html

1. In accordance with Article 42 of this Act, the languages used by minorities in Hungary are: Bulgarian, Gypsy (Romani and Beash), Greek, Croatian, Polish, German, Armenian, Romanian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian and Ukrainian.

2. Since 2003

3. The German community will receive HUF 80 million, the Roma community will get HUF 53 million, the Slovak community will be given HUF 96.8 million and HUF 6.5 million were allocated to cover the investment and operational costs of the Croatian minority.

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Updated (January 2008)

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ALLOCATED MONEY FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF PRE-SCHOOL FOR ROMANIAN MINORITY

In Battonya, a settlement close to the Hungaro-Romanian border, a new pre-school was opened in October 2007 in which the language of instruction is Romanian.

As a fulfillment of its commitment under the recommendations of the intergovernmental minority committee (Hungarian-Romanian), the Hungarian Ministry of Education and Culture has contributed EUR 240.000 towards the project. Currently, the pre-school offers high standard conditions for 26 children.

Source: Minelres Archives, January 2008; Selection of news on national and ethnic minorities in Hungary (September – December 2007) Department of National and Ethnic Minorities http://lists.delfi.lv/pipermail/minelres/2008-January/005438.html

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