The question of national minorities is not a Hungarian, but a European issue

Zsolt Németh appraised Kinga GÁL's work in the Intergroup, and put the question if we can talk about the protection of minorities on EU level. If the answer is yes, why do we feel that the EU doesn't have enough power in this field? If the answer is no, why do national and linguistic minorities face so many problems and difficulties all over Europe?

Kinga GÁL, who was the Co-chair of the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities in the past two and half years answered the main question by saying that is true and it is not in the same time. The reason of this paradox is that usually the European Commission says that protection of minorities is a scope of national authorities in line with the principle of subsidiarity, however there are several indirect methods in the EU which can be used. But we need cooperation, lobby and advocacy of minorities on European level involving more well-educated young people belonging to national minorities who can authentically present the problems of their communities.

"Ne'er cast a clout till May be out" – she said, but stressed, that there are several people among us who help to reach these goals with hard work or just with empathy. "Mostly that's our work about in the European Parliament: finding partners, cooperate and feel responsibility for each other all over Europe. We are trying to connect politics, science and civil society, bringing closer the national minorities to international decision makers" – she added.

Background: the book "The Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages – The issues raised the European Parliament's Intergroup 2009-2011" has two aims: firstly, it summarizes the past of the Intergroup from the 1980's focusing on it's goals, as one of the most active intergroup in the EP. Secondly, the book presents the work of the Intergroup between 2009-2011 including the procedure of building an inter-institutional network and the parliamentary representation of national minorities. The book focuses furthermore on future possibilities and goals, which may help to safeguard the interest of these communities. The publication also tries to explain the problems of the national minorities for people who have not dealt with this topic before.

 

You can download the book HERE.