The Office of the Minority Commissioner in Slovakia has launched a new, user-friendly reporting platform, marking a significant step forward in the enforcement of the Minority Language Use Law. The new system allows citizens to easily submit complaints directly from the homepage of the official website with just one click if they feel that their minority language rights have been violated.

The Minority Language Use Law, Act No. 184/1999, regulates several areas, including the use of minority languages in official settings. The law aims to ensure the use of minority languages in public administration and official procedures in municipalities where the minority population exceeds twenty percent. This includes issuing  bilingual documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, permits, driver’s licenses, certifications, declarations, and orders in both the state language and the minority language.

The law also extends to the communication of visual information, which applies not only to public administration but also to businesses. For example, businesses are required to ensure that essential information, such as safety signs, are available in minority languages.

Complaint Process Streamlined

The new reporting form is located in the lower right corner of the Office’s website, where users can quickly and easily file complaints. During the submission process, complainants can specify the issue, provide their names and contact details, and attach photos to their report. The system automatically forwards these submissions to the Office of the Minority Commissioner, significantly streamlining and accelerating the complaint-handling process.

Previously, the reporting system often encountered obstacles. One of the reasons for general passivity was the lack of complaint templates and the user-unfriendly process of submitting reports to the appropriate forums. This situation often discouraged people from filing complaints, even when they had legitimate grievances.

With the introduction of the new reporting platform, the office aims to reduce this passivity and increase the number of reports. The simpler and more user-friendly system is expected to encourage minority communities to exercise their rights and, if necessary, file complaints regarding deficiencies in the enforcement of the language use law.

Passivity in filing complaints is not a new problem. Last February, a similar initiative was undertaken when the Pro Civis civic association documented 69 cases of violations of the Minority Language Use Law. These cases mainly concerned emergency and hazard signs at Slovak Gasworks, which were displayed exclusively in Slovak, ignoring the linguistic rights of minorities.

At that time, the submissions had to be delivered individually by mail, a process that was extremely time-consuming and cumbersome. The new reporting platform aims to simplify this process, allowing reports to be submitted directly to the office, thereby speeding up the resolution of issues.

The introduction of the new reporting platform is a significant step in protecting minority language rights. The ability to quickly and easily submit complaints is expected to enhance the effective enforcement of the law and ensure the protection of minority linguistic rights. The Office of the Minority Commissioner hopes that the platform will lead to an increase in the number of cases brought to their attention, enabling them to more effectively address violations.

In the future, the office plans to continuously develop and expand the functions of the reporting platform, taking into account user feedback and needs. The primary goal is to ensure that minorities have the opportunity to exercise their linguistic rights and effectively protect them when necessary.

Source: ÚjSzó

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