RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 2, No. 113, 15 June 1998

ETHNIC HUNGARIANS BOYCOTT SCHOOL IN SLOVAKIA. Thousands of
ethnic Hungarian school children boycotted classes in
southern Slovakia on 12 June to protest a proposed amendment
to the education law that would restrict the use of their
mother tongue in the classroom, Reuters reported. The
amendment would reduce the number of subjects that can be
taught in the Hungarian language and increase the
prerogatives of the state over schools catering for ethnic
minorities. MS

HUNGARY'S SMALLHOLDERS TO HAVE FOUR MINISTRIES. The
Independent Smallholders' Party (FKGP) has accepted the
Federation of Young Democrats-Hungarian Civic Party's
(FIDESZ-MPP) offer of four ministries in the new coalition
government, Hungarian media reported on 12 June . FIDESZ-MPP
deputy chairman Janos Ader said the FKGP will receive the
agriculture portfolio, which will also deal with development
in the provinces and accordingly will be renamed the
Ministry of Agriculture and Provincial Development. It will
also have the Defense Ministry and the Ministry
Environmental Protection. Further talks are needed to decide
on the fourth portfolio, Ader said. In other news, a bomb
exploded during the early hours of 15 June on the balcony of
FIDESZ-MPP's downtown Budapest headquarters. There was some
damage to the building but no injuries. MSZ

SMALLHOLDERS PROMISE STRONGER SUPPORT FOR HUNGARIANS IN
ROMANIA. Jozsef Torgyan, chairman of the FKGP, told visiting
Reformed Bishop Laszlo Tokes, honorary chairman of the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania, that the FKGP
will set up a special committee to identify areas where
relations with Hungarians living in Transylvania need to be
improved, Hungarian media reported on 15 June. Torgyan said
his party and FIDESZ have identical views on ethnic
Hungarians abroad. The new government will step up "support
for Hungarians in Transylvania and for their rightful
struggle to reopen the Hungarian university in Cluj,"
Torgyan added. MSZ

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