Emergency assistance, for example, must be provided in the minorities' own language, if it is understood by all parties.Continue reading
Hungary stands by Ukraine, respects the unity of the country, and considers it important to preserve its independence. At the same time, the war should not serve as a pretext to restrict human and minority rights, emphasized the parliamentary Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at a conference on the situation of minorities in Ukraine, organized on the occasion of the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
In his speech, Zsolt Németh welcomed the adoption of the Venice Commission report on the Ukrainian Minority Law as a milestone. The opinion, published on June 13, is a breakthrough, as it “puts a stop to Ukraine” in the field of human and minority rights, he underlined.
Once acquired, rights cannot be taken away. Acquired rights must be restored. The process of Ukraine’s European integration can greatly facilitate this in the coming period,”
added the Chairman of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
He underlined that Russia’s war is condemned, as is the aggression on the grounds of minority issues, which makes it extremely difficult to represent national minority issues. The international community has matured its determination to protect minority rights, he said, expressing the hope that the Venice Commission’s voice, and that of the international community, would be heard in Ukraine.
Fidesz MEP Andrea Bocskor stressed at the meeting that minority rights in Ukraine have been continuously curtailed for years, and following the opinion of the Venice Commission and the pressure of the European Commission, it is hoped that Kiev will be willing to amend the points of the minority law which “represent a radical deprivation of rights” compared to the previous legislation of 1992.
“By postponing the implementation of Article 7 of the Education Act until September 1, 2024, the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia will have some breathing room, as they will not have to immediately switch to bilingual education. However, the measure only postpones the problem, which is hoped to be resolved after Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations start,” added Bocskor.
László Brenzovics, President of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association, said that the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia is under double pressure, partly because of the war and partly because of Ukrainian measures restricting minority rights.
Ukraine must return to the European standards that were previously part of legal practice in Ukraine,”
he underlined.
“We hope that the period until next September will be sufficient to reach a compromise with the Ukrainian government bodies that will satisfy the educational needs of the Transcarpathian Hungarians,” concluded Brenzovics.
Featured photo via Facebook/Árpád János Potápi
