Recently, several media outlets, including Denník N and its Hungarian-language edition Napunk, have reported on an alleged “Slovak–Hungarian language war” in Nové Zámky/Nyítra. Some opted for the softer term “language dispute,” but many headlines clearly pursued sensationalism. In reality, the situation is much more nuanced.

There is no war or ethnic conflict in Nové Zámky/Nyitra – only a law-abiding civic initiative calling for the enforcement of existing minority language rights.A Facebook group called “Érsekújvár, én így szeretlek” (Nové Zámky/Nyitra, This is How I Love You) has been pro-actively contacting local businesses that fail to comply with bilingual signage obligations. When no correction is made, they submit formal complaints to the government office for minority affairs.

So far, the Office has received over 400 complaints, the vast majority of which concern businesses in Nové Zámky/Nyítra – indicating that hundreds of local entrepreneurs are ignoring both the law and the rights of the town’s Hungarian-speaking population.

According to Slovak law, all information concerning consumer safety, property, or well-being must be presented bilingually in municipalities with significant minority populations. This legal interpretation was recently confirmed by the Slovak Consumer Protection Authority, which stated that mandatory consumer information must be accessible in both official and minority languages.

In response, some business owners have launched a counter campaign. This reaction is surprising given that 24 percent of Nové Zámky’s population is ethnic Hungarian. Alarmingly, even some Hungarian-origin entrepreneurs refuse to use Hungarian signage, relying solely on Slovak.

But as the civic group emphasizes, bilingualism does not divide—it connects. It sends a message of mutual respect and equal status among the town’s residents.

While some critics argue that the region faces more urgent economic, environmental, and educational challenges, the demand for linguistic equality remains valid. Language rights are not symbolic—they are legal entitlements.

It is misguided to think that peace co-existence in southern Slovakia depends on the Hungarian minority remaining silent and suppressing its cultural identity.

As for the media, claims of a “language war” are gross exaggerations. Reports such as those by Denník N and Napunk risk misleading the public with deliberate sensationalism.

Source: Ma7.sk

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