Slovenian minority calls on Nehammer to update minorities law
Klagenfurt, 7 December - An umbrella organisation of the Slovenian minority in the Austrian state of Carinthia has urged new Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and his government to immediately initiate reform in the field of ethnic minorities, in particular in relation to relevant legislation.
Vienna, Austria
New Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer as he is sworn in at the Presidential Palace.
Photo: Xinhua/STA
In the call issued on Monday, the National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS) congratulated Nehammer on taking over and also thanked the former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz for significantly raising the financial support for the minority last year.
The NSKS noted that the Slovenian minority in 2020 saw the first increase in funding in the last 25 years.
The organisation reminded the new Austrian chancellor of the coalition agreement between the Austrian People's Party and the Greens from January 2020 dedicating an entire page to ethnic minorities.
"This was the first time that an entire page in a five-year programme of the Austrian government was dedicated to minorities. It focuses on a new constitutional law on ethnic minorities, better media presence, bilingual education and judiciary, and increased financial support."
According to the NSKS, the Austrian law on ethnic minorities, adopted in 1976, should be updated in the field of education, media coverage in the languages of ethnic minorities and their use in courts and other public institutions.