Volodymyr Zelensky to Meet Viktor Orban in Person?

The head of the Ukrainian president's office called Hungary's foreign minister by phone.

Brüsszel, 2023. február 9. Az Európai Tanács által közreadott képen Orbán Viktor miniszterelnök (j) és Volodimir Zelenszkij ukrán elnök kezet fog az Európai Tanács kétnapos brüsszeli tanácskozásának helyszínén 2023. február 9-én. MTI/Európai Tanács Fotó: -

Budging from deadlock

In its analysis, the Karpati Igaz Szo also assessed the draft law as a move away from stalemate. As they write, differentiated guaranteed minority rights would go to those groups who make up at least 15 percent of the local population.

The vast majority of native Hungarian-inhabited Transcarpathian settlements fall into this category, but Hungarians living in smaller concentrations in other areas, for example in Uzhhorod (Ungvar) or Mukachevo (Munkacs), should also take heart as there is also a point in the proposed amendment stating that the rights of national minority communities can be extended to those who have lived in the local for a hundred years.

The history of Hungarians in Transcarpathia goes back not just 100, but 1100 years.

 In addition, if the provisions of the new draft were implemented, the quotas for teaching school subjects in Ukrainian would be abolished. The new draft would also be more permissive about regulating minority language book publishing and distribution, the portal recalls.

Ildiko Orosz, head of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Pedagogical Association (KMPSZ), and the II. Rakoczi Ferenc Transcarpathian Hungarian College, welcomed that for the first time in many years the recommendations of Hungarian organizations are finally being heard at the government level. At the same time, she noted that the situation is still a far cry from the full return of minority rights that have been taken away since 2015.

Cover photo: Photo published by the European Council featuring Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shaking hands at the two-day meeting of the European Council in Brussels on February 9, 2023 (Photo: MTI/European Council)