The requests of indigenous national and linguistic minorities fall on deaf ears in the European Union

The European Parliament today held a debate in connection with the 30th anniversary of the publication of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. It is unfortunate that the adoption of the EP resolution related to the topic could not be put on the agenda due to the opposition votes of the Hungarian left-wing representatives. Kinga Gál MEP, the president of the Fidesz European Parliament group, said in her speech: “Several million EU citizens are treated as second-class citizens in many member states of the Union. The vanguard of anti-discrimination, the European Commission, is not even willing to deal with the protection of these communities. They are the victims of the double standard”. Andrea Bocskor MEP emphasized in the debate: “It is important that the rights of native national and linguistic minorities do not only exist on paper, but also in reality. However, European decision-makers, using double standards, only examine the problems of certain minorities under a magnifying glass, while they turn a blind eye to the violations of rights affecting traditional national minorities.”

Kinga Gál reminded us: “For 30 years, we hoped that the UN resolution would also promote European minority protection.” The MEP has been fighting for the protection of indigenous national and linguistic minorities in the European Parliament since 2004. “As co-chairman of the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, I have been faced with the fact that millions of EU citizens, including hundreds of thousands of Hungarians, are treated as second-class citizens in many EU member states. Despite discrimination, numerous violations of the law, the restriction or absence of the use of the mother tongue, the European Commission does not wish to protect the rights of these minorities. Thus, they become victims of double standards, and their requests fall on deaf ears.” – said the Fidesz representative. “Just think of the two European citizens’ initiatives for the protection of minorities supported by millions, which the Commission swept off the table with a casual gesture of the hand. The European Court of Justice confirmed this decision in a judgment. However, a comprehensive framework for the protection of native European national and linguistic minorities would be greatly needed. It is unfortunate that the EP did not even want to make a decision on such a serious issue. The European institutions cannot step over their own shadows”, concluded Kinga Gál.

The president of the Fidesz EP delegation pointed out that the Hungarian left always fails the Hungarians across the border: “Until now, they have not stood up for the traditional national and linguistic minorities. Because of their dissenting votes, no minority protection resolution could be passed in the European Parliament.”

Andrea Bocskor MEP highlighted: “The anniversary of the Declaration gives us a good opportunity to pay even more attention to the Transcarpathian Hungarian community that is going through difficult times, whose main goal is to guarantee their minority rights with a law passed in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and to respect the community that wants to live in peace in its homeland! “