Christian Democrats call on PACE to protect rights of Transcarpathia Hungarians

Hungarian lawmaker Lőrinc Nacsa on Tuesday called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to monitor carefully the situation of Transcarpathia Hungarians after Ukraine’s 2017 public education law curbed their access to Hungarian language post-primary-level education.

Nacsa, of the Christian Democrat (KDNP) party, said that

the Hungarian ethnic minority should not be used for campaign purposes in the upcoming Ukrainian election.

Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland responded that the protection of minority rights and minority languages is an important duty of the Council as well as the individual member states. He expressed hope that after further talks, Ukraine will fulfil its obligations and heed the recommendations of the CoE’s Venice Commission.

Zsolt Németh of Fidesz, the head of the Hungarian delegation, welcomed as a “significant development” that “Jagland pledged that the body would follow the state of minority rights in Ukraine carefully”.

GERMAN JOURNALIST ALLEGEDLY FIREBOMBED HUNGARIAN CENTRE IN UKRAINE

Last year, a Polish man was accused of being involved in the firebombing of a Hungarian Cultural Centre located in Western-Ukraine. He said that he had been given instructions by a far-right German journalist who has worked as a consultant for the German Government and for the Alternative for Germany political party. Read more HERE.

Source: MTI