A proposed amendment to Slovakia’s language law seeks to limit the public use of minority languages, raising concerns among the country’s Hungarian minority. The draft would prioritize Slovak on signs and advertisements, ban minority languages in places such as public transport and post offices, and impose fines of up to €15,000 for violations.

A similar change in 2009 triggered diplomatic tensions between Slovakia and Hungary. Opposition said the new draft was stricter, could harm businesses and might draw criticism from the EU. René Parák of the Freedom and Solidarity Party called it a nationalist and regressive step.

Slovakia’s Minister of Culture defended the bill as strengthening the status of the state language, while Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said he had received assurances the changes would not affect minority rights.

Hungarians make up about 8% of Slovakia’s population. Despite recent cooperation between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán due to their nationalist agenda, the language dispute risks reviving tensions between the two neighbors.