By Martin Santa and Krisztina Than
KOMARNO, Slovakia, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister
Robert Fico accused Hungarian radical groups of exporting
fascism to his country after a meeting with his Hungarian
counterpart on Saturday intended to promote reconciliation.
Fico and Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany met in
the border town of Komarno in an attempt to resolve differences
over the large ethnic Hungarian minority in Slovakia and what
Slovaks call provocations by far-right Hungarian groups.
Despite delivering a joint statement in which they pledged
to take action against all kinds of extremism, nationalism and
intolerance and promote "good neighbourly relations", the two
politicians crossed swords in front of the media.
Fico said Hungarian radical groups were exporting fascism to
Slovakia and the Hungarian government was not doing enough to
restrain the radicals.
"The biggest problem for the Slovak government is the export
of fascism and nationalism from Hungary," Fico told a news
conference in Komarno, a Slovak-Hungarian town divided by the
river Danube.
Hungary ruled over Slovakia within the Austro-Hungarian
empire until its break-up following World War One. Hungary lost
two-thirds of its territory, including southern Slovakia, and
around a third of its population after the war.
Last week, Slovak police detained more than 20 Hungarian
far-right activists on allegations of promoting fascism after
they marched through Slovak villages in uniforms that police
said bore Nazi-era symbols.
Gyurcsany said nationalism had become part of Slovak
politics.
"Many of us think in Hungary that Slovak politics is not
only flirting with nationalism, but has become engaged to it,"
he told the same news conference.
The two central European states have often bickered over the
half-million strong Hungarian minority in Slovakia and relations
soured after the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) entered
Fico's ruling coalition after the 2006 elections.
Fico promised on Saturday to distance himself from any SNS
rhetoric that might defame Hungary or its politicians but
rejected any interference in Slovakia's affairs.
"Slovakia is a sovereign country and the Slovak government
will be created in Bratislava based on election results and
nobody will interfere, neither Brussels, nor Washington, Moscow
or Budapest," he said.
Tensions between the two countries have increased in recent
weeks after police beat Hungarian soccer fans at a game in
Slovakia, which was followed by protests in Budapest where
demonstrators burned a Slovak national flag.
Gyurcsany said it was disappointing that the Slovak
government had failed to hand over the results of an inquiry
into whether the police action was lawful and proportionate.
Fico said the rights of ethnic minorities in Slovakia were
above European standards.
Gyurcsany also proposed the two countries should agree that
the education of minorities should receive above average state
funding and Slovakia should appoint a minority commissioner.
"This joint statement in itself will not resolve the issue
as being anti-Hungarian pays off in Slovak politics," said
Hungarian analyst Peter Kreko at think-tank Political Capital.
(Editing by Giles Elgood)
