Jobbik calls on gov't to freeze ties with Slovakia

The opposition Jobbik party has called on the government to freeze bilateral relations with Slovakia until that country guarantees withdrawal of a recently approved law which "severely restricts" singing the Hungarian anthem there. The Slovak law is "revolting and unacceptable", it violates European Union norms and represents "a slap in the face" for the Visegrad cooperation, Jobbik lawmaker Janos Bencsik said. The Hungarian government failed to react to similar moves in recent years and Prime Minister Viktor Orban described cooperation as "exemplary" after a meeting with his Slovak counterpart last summer, Bencsik said.