Ukraine has not yet resolved the issue of the protection of national minorities, according to Lorant Vincze, the President of the Federation of European Nationalities (FUEN). In a recent Facebook post the Transylvanian politician, who is also a member of the European Parliament as a representative of the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (RMDSZ), stated that Ukrainie's new legislation on national minorities fails to eliminate the negative effects of the country's education, media and state language law on minorities.
In its statement, FUEN adds that the law and its amendments, signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early November, do not provide an adequate solution to the demands of national minorities.
As FUEN recalls, the new law on national minorities was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament last December and was strongly criticized by Ukrainian minorities, EU member states and NGOs. later, the Venice Commission has made recommendations to improve the legislation, and the law was subsequently amended in August.
– The new law does not provide an adequate response to the issue of national minorities, Mr Vincze said, adding that
the public use of language rights in Ukraine is poised to face additional restrictions.
After Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Bucharest in October, RMDSZ President Hunor Kelemen has emphasized that "Kyiv should be more receptive to Romania's requests and expectations, especially regarding minority rights. Bucharest is also opposed to any discrimination against minorities, including Romanians in Ukraine, but it supports Ukraine's early integration into the EU. Analysts say that the Romanian leadership views Moldova's rapprochement with the EU "as part of a package with Ukraine" as more importance than the disenfranchisement of ethnic Romanians living in Ukraine.
Cover photo: Illustration (Photo: Andreea Campeanu)
