HUNGARY: CONFLICTS WITH NEIGHBOURS AND ATTEMPTS TO IMPOSE CONTACTS OUTSIDE THE REGION

Photo: zaxid.net

Language dispute in the Hungarian-Ukrainian relations still remains relevant. Hungary does not miss any opportunity to bring up this issue at the meetings of the European institutions. On January 23, Hungarian MP Lorinc Nacsa called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to monitor carefully the situation of the Transcarpathia Hungarians after Ukraine’s 2017 public education law curbed their access to Hungarian language post-primary-level education. He noted that the Hungarian ethnic group should not be used for campaign purposes in the upcoming Ukrainian election. Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland replied that the protection of minority rights and minority languages is an important duty of the Council and expressed the hope that after further negotiations Ukraine will fulfill its obligations and heed the recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.