Hungary Stands Up for Rights of Transcarpathia Hungarians

Brussels plans to speed up Ukraine's progress on the EU path, but Hungary firmly insists on resolving ethnic minority issues.

Kijev, 2023. november 4. Ursula von der Leyen, az Európai Bizottság elnöke és Volodimir Zelenszkij ukrán elnök a kijevi megbeszéléseit követõ sajtóértekezleten 2023. november 4-én, az Ukrajna elleni orosz háború alatt. MTI/EPA/Szerhij Dolzsenko Fotó: Szerhij Dolzsenko

There could be a breakthrough regarding the issue of EU integration for several countries. In its article, the Dutch NOS News highlights that the European Commission may present a positive report  on Ukraine, Moldova and the six Balkan countries waiting to join the EU.

The focus is mainly on Kyiv, as in the European Commission's stocktaking, Ukraine is ready to start accession negotiations. As Magyar Nemzet wrote in an earlier piece, the European Commission's report considers that Ukraine has fully achieved four out of seven criteria required to gain candidate status. Europe's expression of support carries great significance for the country at war, the Dutch news outlet notes, adding, however, that Ukraine's neighbor, Hungary is in the way in this process.

Budapest threatens veto

Support for Ukraine is far from certain, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government threatening to veto at the next EU summit in December, when European leaders still need to approve the European Commission's proposal, the Dutch NOS writes. The violation of rights of the ethnic Hungarian community in Ukraine is the reason underlying Hungary's position. 

📽️The camera is rolling, and @tijnsadee is asking some tough questions. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/KMeL6fIDEJ

— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) October 31, 2023

New laws have been introduced that have made life miserable for Hungarians living in Ukraine,

Balazs Orban explained. The Hungarian prime minister's political director pointed out that the so-called language law Ukraine adopted requires not only Hungarian but all ethnic minorities to receive at least seventy percent of their education in the Ukrainian language.

We cannot accept this,

Balazs Orban told NOS in an exclusive interview, adding that

Hungary's position is crystal clear: as long as this law exists, there could be no discussions with the Ukrainians about their integration into the European Union.

Kyiv sees Hungary's veto threat as a cynical game

According to the latest estimate, the number of ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia has steeply dropped since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Dutch media reports. In the past, about 150 thousand ethnic Hungarians lived in the region and now there may be about a hundred thousand. Many of them, especially young people, seek refuge in Hungary.

In Ukraine, Hungary's veto threat is seen as a cynical game, NOS points out. Any Hungarian maneuver is suspicious in Kyiv's eyes, because in their view, Hungary continues to maintain good relations with Russia, which has invaded Ukraine. Regarding the language law concerns, Ukraine is doubtful about Hungary's sincerity.

This law should be slightly amended in line with the European Commission's recommendation, but the Ukrainians argue that the problem is not big enough for the fate of more than 40 million Ukrainians to depend on it, the article says, adding that Brussels fears that the Orban government will take an irreconcilable position on the issue in order to win in a completely different dispute, namely the release of EU funds. Critics say that Budapest is using the language law issue as a bargaining chip: Hungary would only revoke its veto, if the country continues to receive billions in EU funding.

This is political manipulation from Budapest,

says Viktor Mykyta, governor of the Transcarpathia region, stressing that he is in permanent contact with the Hungarian community.

Ukraine as an EU candidate country is fully aware that it must respect ethnic minority rights,

the Ukrainian politician added.

Hungary, however, has doubts in this regard. Hungary has always supported Ukraine's EU integration process, but the strict language law has changed everything, Balazs Orban added.

Cover photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference following their meeting in Kyiv on November 4, 2023 (Photo: MTI/EPA/Sergey Dolzhenko)