Slovakia, Bratislava - Most (70 percent) of the ethnic-Hungarians living in Slovakia feel as safe as ever despite the escalation of tension in Slovak-Hungarian relations, according to a sociological survey carried out by the Forum of the Institute for Minority Research in late March.

The survey, conducted on a sample of 1,022 respondents, was focused on national and political identity of ethnic-Hungarians living in Slovakia.

According to the survey, 61 percent of respondents are interested in the standing or status of ethnic-Hungarians living mostly in southern Slovakia. Almost 90 percent of respondents consider preserving their Hungarian nationality to be important, 67 percent think that their nationality needs to be preserved under any circumstances, with 52 percent determined to do so even at the cost of being discriminated against. Nine percent will only keep their nationality if they do not feel threatened because of it and 7 percent in situations in which it benefits them.

Every fifth respondent doesn't care about maintaining national identity. Meanwhile, according to 45 percent of respondents, tension in Slovak-Hungarian relations has no effect on preserving their national identity; whereas 55 percent think otherwise.

As far as life in Slovakia goes, respondents derive the most happiness from their family life, living conditions, relations between Slovaks and Hungarians as well as interpersonal relations overall in the communities, also with their health and their job. On the other hand, they are discontent with the current Government and politicians in general, with the state of the economy, relations between Slovakia and Hungary and their standard of living.

They think the new government should focus primarily on addressing the issue of unemployment (72 percent), the state of the economy and healthcare (18 and 27 percent) and the standing of ethnic-Hungarians in Slovakia (25 percent). Seventy-five percent were planning to vote at the time of the survey, with 49 percent firmly determined to exercise their democratic franchise.

Fifty-one percent of respondents said that they would vote for SMK party, 28 percent for Most-Hid, and six percent are decided for other political parties. The remainder was either undecided or wouldn't take part in the June 12 general election.

(TASR, illustration photo)