Minister: Situation of national minorities in Hungary not affected by difficult ties to motherland

The situation of national minorities in Hungary cannot be negatively affected by a potentially difficult relationship between Hungary and the given motherland, the deputy prime minister in charge of policies for national minorities said on Monday.

Hungary’s Fundamental Law declares that the 13 indigenous national minority groups in the country are part of the Hungarian state and have self-governments, Zsolt Semjén said at his annual hearing before parliament’s committee for national minority communities.

The government aims to have the closest possible ties with the motherlands of Hungary’s ethnic communities, Semjén said, adding that even when there are disagreements, it could not have any sort of negative consequence for the minority groups.

Highlighting the example of the current disputes between Hungary and Ukraine, Semjén said this could not put the Ukrainian community in Hungary at any kind of disadvantage.

If relations with the motherland in question are good and fruitful — as they are in the case of Serbia — it can also benefit the given ethnic community, he said.