Strasbourg, 19.09.2025 – In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages acknowledges the Slovak Republic’s efforts to protect and promote minority languages, particularly Hungarian, but calls for further measures to comply with its commitments under the treaty, notably to support their use in education, administration, media, and healthcare. 

The report notes that Slovak legislation for national minorities enables the use of minority languages in various fields, including education, judicial authorities, administration, media, and cultural life. For example, the authorities have provided support to museums of several national minorities and to cultural activities carried out by national minority organisations through subsidy programmes.

However, the Committee finds that aspects of policies, legislation and practice in the Slovak Republic are not in conformity with its ratified Charter undertakings. Legislation continues to contain provisions that exclude, restrict or discourage the use of minority languages, particularly in the fields of the judiciary, administration, the media and economic and social life.

The report points out that the situation regarding minority languages in education is diverse. Whereas Hungarian is used as a medium of instruction at all levels, the offer for most languages still does not fully comply with the commitment to make available teaching in or of these languages as an integral part of the curriculum at different levels of education.

Minority languages are used to some extent in criminal and civil proceedings, but rarely in administrative proceedings. The Committee regrets that the right to use minority languages in criminal law procedures is currently subject to the individual concerned not being able to master Slovak. It therefore calls for creating a clear legal basis for the use of minority languages in criminal proceedings in conformity with the Charter.

The report recommends the adoption of legal and practical measures to ensure that the minority languages can be used in oral and written communication with local branches of the state authorities, regional authorities, local authorities and public service providers.

Regarding the media, the Committee expresses concern about the limited presence of minority languages in public and private broadcasting. It considers that the duration of broadcasting in minority languages should be extended, as well as its regularity, and that a structured policy is needed to encourage private media to broadcast programmes in minority languages.

In the field of healthcare, the report notes that oral communication is currently possible in Hungarian and, facilitated through projects, in Romani. It underscores the need for a structured policy to ensure that the use of Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romani, Ruthenian and Ukrainian is possible in social care facilities, in line with the country’s commitments under the Charter.

The report is based on information provided by governmental and non-governmental sources, including information obtained during the Committee’s visit to the Slovak Republic in April 2025. It has been published together with comments from the Slovak authorities. 

The Slovak Republic ratified the Charter in 2001.