By Christopher Condon in Budapest
Published: October 30 2003 4:00

Hungary is pushing hard for an amendment to the European Union's new draft constitution that would enshrine the rights of national and ethnic minorities, with an eye to protecting ethnic Hungarians outside its borders.

The proposal has won support from some within the EU but has been met with opposition and suspicion from Hungary's neighbours.

Slovakia's government has called the proposal "unacceptable". Juraj Tomaga, spokesman for Slovakia's foreign ministry, said his government expected the Hungarian proposal would be rejected because the draft constitution already contained wording barring discrimination.

"This is a complicated issue and would cause problems for various countries," said Mr Tomaga.

Hungary and Slovakia are due to join the EU next May and will participate in the Intergovernmental Conference meant to hammer out a final version of a new EU constitution. Heads of government and state hope to sign the document by December.

The treatment of Hungarian minority populations in the region and Budapest's efforts since communism's collapse in 1989 to watch more actively over them have sometimes led to serious tensions. Hungary's relations with Romania and Slovakia have been particularly affected. Most recently, Budapest stirred controversy in 2002 when it passed a law extending educational and social benefits to ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary.

Under pressure from the EU, Hungary later scaled back parts of the law and negotiated with Romania and Slovakia over implementing what remained.

Hungary lost much of its territory after fighting on the losing side of the first world war. As a consequence, about 3.5m ethnic Hungarians today live close to but outside the country, chiefly in Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia.

Tamas Toth, Hungary's foreign ministry spokesman, tried to downplay the issue, claiming the proposal would not create any practical changes for governments. "We don't want to cause problems with Romania or Slovakia. We are not requesting new rights for ethnic minorities," he said.

Austria and Italy have backed the proposal, while France sides with Slovakia in opposing it, according to Mr Tomaga.

However, documents tallying the position of EU states and accession countries on the issue says only that SLovakia and Latvia oppose it.

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