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The Hungarian Government remains committed to supporting national minorities living within its borders, said Miklós Soltész, State Secretary for Church and Minority Relations, during a visit to an ecumenical youth camp for ethnic Slovaks from Hungary.
The camp, held in Marianka (Máriavölgy), a historic pilgrimage site near Bratislava, was organized by the Identita (Slovenský spolok Identita) association, which promotes the cultural life of Hungary’s Slovak community. This year marks the 11th time the event has taken place.
Government support for national minorities should be a matter of course in every country — as it already is in Hungary,”
said the State Secretary to public media during the visit.
He emphasized the importance of helping young people maintain their cultural and linguistic heritage, noting that many participants, having learned Slovak from their parents and grandparents, are now able to pass intermediate-level language exams — in part thanks to camps like this.
He added that in 2024, the Hungarian Government already supported hundreds of summer camps for the country’s thirteen recognized national minorities — including forty for the Slovak community alone.
The goal, he said, is to strengthen identity, preserve language, and build community.
Miklós Soltész praised the camp for providing a setting where youth can connect without digital distractions. “It was wonderful to see the kids putting down their phones and enjoying time together as a community,” he said, adding that adults have a responsibility to create such opportunities.
He also stressed the importance of dual identity for minority youth. “It is natural that these children are both Slovak and Hungarian,” he said.
The Hungarian Government believes that every minority should be able to preserve and strengthen its language and cultural identity — and that this should be supported and respected by neighboring countries as well.
In a pointed remark, Soltész criticized Ukraine’s treatment of its Hungarian minority, accusing Kyiv of seeking to erase non-Ukrainian identities.
While we provide the Ukrainian community in Hungary with everything they need — including schools and summer camps — there is no reciprocity for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine,”
he said.
Photo: Identita Szlovák Egyesület
“We want to show that peaceful, respectful coexistence with minorities is not only possible, but essential,” Soltész emphasized.
Via MTI; Featured image: Identita Szlovák Egyesület