SMK and Most-Hid to Merge into Single Party

Bratislava, February 5 (TASR) – Extra-parliamentary ethnic-Hungarian parties Most-Hid and SMK announced on Friday that they are set to merge and form a joint party, admitting at the same time that talks on merging with a third such party, i.e. Solidarity, have failed.

“The compromise proposals from SMK-MKP and Most-Hid in January didn’t push the three parties closer to a three-way agreement, and further talks brought no results. We [SMK and Most-Hid] decided that we’ll lay the foundation for new Hungarian political representation in Slovakia together,” reads a statement sent by the two parties. Their aim is to unite all political and social entities that are interested in representing the Hungarian minority.

The parties at the same time remarked that it was they who divided the Hungarians in Slovakia into two groups more than a decade ago. SMK splintered in 2009, leading to the creation of Most-Hid, which managed to replace SMK in parliament. No ethnic-Hungarian party made it into Parliament in the most recent general election, however.

“We’ll now put together what others put asunder,” stated Most-Hid head Laszlo Solymos, adding that a party that is meant to unite the Hungarian community in Slovakia must reflect its diversity and variety. At the same time, the new party will also represent other national minorities, said Solymos.

“The focal point of our joint vision is to preserve and develop the Hungarian community in the country and a strong and confident southern and eastern Slovakia,” reads a statement sent to TASR by SMK.