The Implementation of the ECRML in Slovakia under Construction: Structural Preconditions, External influence and Internal Obstacles

Abstract

In the early 1990s, the young Republic of Slovakia, fearing threats of devolution, embarked on an ethno-centric nation-state building, triggering a conflict structure between the majority and the minorities that can be illustrated in the game theoretic model of a ‘Pure conflict’. Even under these unfavourable structural conditions, EU conditionality prompted the state to fulfil the Copenhagen Criteria and to adopt the necessary European legislative package, but inducing formal changes in the legislative mainly. Before accession, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Language was also adopted, but appropriate measures necessary for its implementation did not implicitly follow. Nevertheless, medium-term effects show that due to the strong entrenchment with the international institutions involved, such as the European Council, social ties could be created. Consequently, social practice generated reciprocal collective meanings on minority language rights and proved to have a constitutive impact on Slovakia's identity profile in the post-accession period. However, externally induced progress has overlapped with the alternating political elites in power, dominated by populist and nationalistic rhetoric or moderate centre-right parties, finally hampering a more comprehensive implementation of Slovak minority language protection until today.