STRASBOURG – January 22, 2026 – At the Strasbourg meeting of the European Parliament’s Minority Intergroup, members were confronted with the painful reality of Europe’s national and linguistic minorities—a reality that demands far more than mere expressions of concern. The most serious topic on the agenda was the ongoing application of the Beneš Decrees in Slovakia, which continues to afflict that country’s ethnic Hungarian community, alongside the alarming state of Polish education in Lithuania.

Slovakia: The Dark Shadow of the Beneš Decrees

The meeting centered on the situation in Slovakia, where post-WWII disenfranchisement is not merely a chapter in history books but a poison affecting present-day reality. Invited guests Ms. Adrianna Gergely Papp and Mr. Balázs Tárnok, representatives of the Hungarian Alliance in Slovakia, presented reports showing that the Beneš Decrees—which stripped Hungarian and German minorities of their citizenship and property between 1945 and 1948 based on the principle of collective guilt—still exert their influence today.

It is particularly alarming that Decree No. 104/1945, which ordered the confiscation of agricultural land from ethnic Hungarians and Germans, remains legally in force. The Hungarian Alliance’s report revealed shocking facts: for years, the Slovak Land Fund (Slovenský pozemkový fond) has systematically confiscated land through administrative procedures by citing this decree, often without the owners’ knowledge or providing any compensation.

Although these confiscations were briefly suspended, the fourth government led by Robert Fico restarted the practice in 2023. The Slovak government maintains the cynical position that the decrees are merely “historical issues,” yet in a November 2025 statement, they implicitly acknowledged the ongoing confiscations while refusing any substantive resolution. This practice represents a direct application of collective guilt in 21st-century Europe, a grave violation of international human rights norms.

Sidelined Rights: The State of Polish Education in Lithuania

The second topic, discussed in the shadow of the Slovak case, was the struggle for education by the Polish minority in Lithuania. Presentations highlighted the uncertain future of long-standing institutions in the Trakai district, such as the Andžej Stelmachowski Primary School in Old Trakai and the Longin Komolovski Gymnasium in Paluknys.

Despite these settlements having a Polish population of 50–70% and the schools receiving significant financial support from the Polish state, they face constant administrative pressure. According to MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski, school principals and teachers frequently face intimidation and mobbing. Furthermore, authorities use “extralegal” means to force Lithuanian sections and subjects onto minority schools—a move that sparked thousands to protest in 2023.

European Responses: Decisive Action Required

The core message of the session was an urgent call for decisive action from European institutions. Loránt Vincze, Chair of the Intergroup, stated that stripping a community of its language and culture attacks the very core of its identity; therefore, such measures are unacceptable within the European Union. The Intergroup condemns these restrictive steps against national minorities in the strongest possible terms.

A path for concrete action was outlined by Vice-President Anna-Maja Henriksson, who proposed that the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) launch an official investigation into whether the application of the Beneš Decrees is compatible with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The representatives agreed that the principle of collective guilt and discriminatory land confiscations have no place in European values. The matter will be referred to the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), a plenary debate will be initiated, and the Intergroup expects substantive steps from the European Commission to end these violations.

Source: Europarl.europa.eu

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