A forum to address the situation of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine entitled “In Defense of Our Shared Home: The Role of the Hungarian National Minority in Defending and Developing Ukraine,” was held near Uzhhorod/Ungvár on December 2, 2024. Organized by Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience and the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration, the event tackled the challenges facing the Hungarian minority, their current situation, and potential solutions.

Objective

The forum aimed to facilitate dialogue between the Hungarian community in Ukraine and Ukrainian state authorities, with a particular focus on issues such as the restriction of minority rights, mother-tongue education, the preservation of cultural heritage, and legal harmonization. It also provided a platform to discuss reforms related to the European integration process affecting minorities. Participants included representatives from the Ukrainian government, the European Commission, regional authorities, local governments, diplomats, members of parliament, educators, experts, international partners, religious leaders and others.

Opening Remarks

In his opening speech, Viktor Yelenskyi, head of Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, emphasized the importance of minorities in Ukraine’s European integration. Oleh Nemchinov, a member of the Cabinet of Ministers, highlighted the significance of cooperation with national communities during the EU accession process.

The forum’s importance was underscored by Oleksandr Ilkov, Director-General of the Government Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Martin Mühleck, a representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and Andriy Nadzhos, Deputy Minister for European Integration at the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, who participated remotely.

The speakers outlined Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership, with particular attention to legal and institutional harmonization on minority issues. Mühleck stressed the importance of the rule of law and the fight against corruption as key conditions for successful European integration.

Hungary’s Consulate General in Uzhhorod was represented by Chargé d’Affaires László Vida. He emphasized that the Hungarian government closely monitors the situation of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia/Kárpátalja oblast-province and is open to result-oriented dialogue. According to Vida, the amendments adopted in December 2023 and the compromises reached in expert negotiations in January 2024 were steps forward, but none of the issues raised by the Hungarian side can yet be considered fully resolved.

Three Panels Addressed the Top Areas of Concern

The forum’s significance was reflected in the diverse range of attendees, including representatives from national and local authorities, international experts, leaders of Hungarian minority organizations, local government officials, and church leaders. Panels focused on the following three topics:

1. Reforming Ukraine’s State Policy on National Minorities and the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Light of European Integration
   • Zoltán Kulin, CEO of TV21 Uzhhorod, highlighted challenges in access to minority media. He pointed out the lack of adequate television coverage in the Berehove/Beregszász district, which limits access to Hungarian-language information.
   • László Zubánics, President of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Ukraine,noted that Ukraine often disregards its international obligations and emphasized the importance of national-cultural autonomy.
2. The Role of Hungarian Minority Civic Institutions and Implementation of Minority Legislation
   • József Rezes, Executive Director of the Association of Transcarpathian Border Municipalities, praised the forum’s role in fostering dialogue between Hungarian minority representatives and authorities. He acknowledged the positive components of Ukraine’s law on minorities but emphasized the need for further steps, particularly in lifting native language restrictions and displaying geographical names in minority languages.
   • Zoltán Babják, Mayor of Berehove, lauded the cultural and historical contributions of the Hungarian community and emphasized the importance of Hungarian-language colleges, theaters, and radio stations.
3. Education in the Mother Tongue and Protection of Minority Rights
   • Ildikó Orosz, President of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Pedagogical Association, stressed that the Hungarian community only seeks the restoration of their previously existing educational and linguistic rights. She addressed issues such as national-cultural autonomy, restrictions on minority rights, the use of national symbols, funding for public, denominational and Hungary-supported educational institutions, the lack of textbooks and dictionaries, restrictions on the use of native languages, and the testing procedures.
   • Sándor Spenik, Dean of Uzhhorod National University, highlighted the demographic challenges caused by the war and spoke about the future challenges facing Hungarian-language education.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Stake-holders agreed that resolving minority issues, including the development and implementation of a Minority Protection Action Plan, is essential for improving Ukrainian-Hungarian relations and the success of the EU accession process.

• Summarizing the forum’s results, Viktor Yelenskyi noted that minority issues are addressed individually for each community, focusing on mapping their specific problems, plans, and aspirations. He emphasized the importance of developing and implementing an action plan aligned with the European Commission’s commitments and guidelines on national minorities.
• “What we discussed today will serve as a foundation for drafting an action plan,” said Yelenskyi. He noted that the most pressing issues arose during the education panel, making it clear that further discussions with the Ministry of Education are necessary to develop effective models for national minorities—such as Hungarians, Romanians, Poles, and Bulgarians—with their own educational systems. Based on the forum’s outcomes, a document will be prepared outlining the identified challenges and proposed recommendations.

Source: KISZó

Please follow and like us: