Hungarians of Transcarpathia about new law: We feel that we have been heard

On December 8, the Verkhovna Rada adted as a basis and as a whe the draft law No. 10288-1 "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Consideration of the Expert Assessment of the Council of Eure and its Bodies on the Rights of National Minorities (Communities) in Certain Areas." What does it give to Transcarpathian Hungarians, what expectations does it fulfill, and what problems does it sve? What will change with the introduction of this law in the region with the largest number of ethnic minorities in the country, and how has it been received here? How will it affect pitics in the region and in the country as a whe? Read about this in the article by Ukrinform.

TO STUDY, CAMPAIGN AND WATCH TV IN MINORITY LANGUAGES

Law No. 10288-1 was supported by 317 MPs in the Verkhovna Rada session hall. The draft law stipulates that from now on, private higher education institutions in Ukraine have the right to freely choose the language of instruction, which is an official language of the EU, while ensuring that the state language is taught as a separate discipline. Also, in classes (groups) with instruction in languages of national minorities (communities), which are official languages of the Eurean Union, the right to use them in the educational process along with the state language is guaranteed. At the same time, representatives of national minorities of Ukraine who started receiving general secondary education in their native language before September 1, 2018, have the right to continue receiving it in accordance with the rules that existed before the entry into force of the Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Functioning of Ukrainian as the State Language".

At the same time, the law allows for the distribution of election campaign materials in the languages of the respective indigenous peles, national minorities (communities) of Ukraine and dubbed in the state language.

For TV broadcasters broadcasting in the languages of national minorities of Ukraine, which are official languages of the Eurean Union, programs in the state language must account for at least 30% of the total duration of programs (or parts thereof).

All of this applies to the languages of all national minorities in Ukraine, except Russian, the language of the state that was recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as the aggressor.

THE LAW SHOULD BE VIEWED THROUGH TWO PRISMS

Dmytro Tuzhansky, Director of the Institute for Central Eurean Strategy, explains that this law should be viewed through two prisms. The first is how its provisions will be integrated in practice. In terms of education, the problem is not so much the language of instruction, Tuzhansky notes, as the availability of teachers.

– After all, Hungarian communities in Transcarpathia are predominantly rural, and there is a critical shortage of staff in villages. There is a shortage of fully Hungarian-speaking teachers, as well as bilingual and high-quality Ukrainian-speaking teachers. This explains the constant last place of the region in the rankings based on the results of the External Independent Testing. It does not correlate with the factor of the Hungarian-speaking pulation. After all, Transcarpathia is flowed in the all-Ukrainian ranking by Ternil region, which has no ethnic component at all," says Dmytro Tuzhansky.

The second prism, Tuzhansky emphasizes, is pitical issues.

– In the pitical sphere, the Hungarian parties of Transcarpathia have now lost the arguments that have previously secured their ratings: the restoration of the rights and pression of the national minority. Until now, the grounds for this were provided by controversial Ukrainian legislation. And when the leaders of the national minority voiced these claims in Brussels or Washington, the accusations did not seem completely unfounded. I had to come to the region and make sure that the Hungarian minority actually lives in Transcarpathia without any harassment. It is significant that during all the years of the language law's existence, none of the Ukrainian citizens registered in places of compact residence of the Hungarian minority has applied to the specialized ombudsman. Not a single complaint has been received from them. This is important to take into account.

The expert notes that the Ukrainian laws "On Education" and "On Language" have been controversial in recent years in terms of "ideal" legislation on national minorities, as it is in the EU, but now we are moving in a very correct Central Eurean direction in this regard.

– It is important that the latest draft law is very sensitive, with 317 MPs voting in favor of it, and was develed by virtually all factions of the Verkhovna Rada. And although this issue still divides Ukrainians in their views – the law is pularly called "concessions to Orban" – in fact, Ukrainian elites have shown unity. And this unity is based on the realization that Ukraine needs this on its way to the EU. Therefore, the law on national minorities is a very good precedent for pitical unification," Tuzhansky says.

He also notes that our enemy will no longer be able to compare Transcarpathian Hungarians with separatists.

– After all, this narrative about "Hungarian separatists" still exists in Ukraine, and moreover, the idea is being pushed that we should talk about Ukrainian Hungarians with Budapest. This is absurd, because Ukrainian Hungarians are citizens of our country. This law is a good signal that Ukrainians are a pitical nation and Hungarians are part of this pitical nation. This is a very strong counter to Russian disinformation!" the expert emphasizes.

According to Tuzhansky, now, even if Orban blocks the ening of negotiations on EU membership, the step of Ukraine's adtion of this law is very important for our strengthening from within and in terms of our Eurean integration.

– Even Orban's veto will now be temporary. In this sense, we can quote Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who says, with pathos, that "history cannot be stped." In fact, these barriers are a sign that we are still approaching the EU and this progress cannot be stped. Orban's veto is like the blockade of carriers at the border. These reactions to Ukraine's membership in the EU are from the same plane. But this is exactly how Eurean integration goes," Tuzhansky emphasizes.

THE LAW IS POSITIVELY RECEIVED IN THE REGION

eksandr Lyakh, head of the Department of Nationalities and Religions at the Transcarpathia Regional State Administration, says that the perception of the law in the region should be judged by the reaction of the Hungarian community. After all, they are the largest ethnic minority in Transcarpathia, they had the most claims against the state and expressed them constantly both in the region and abroad.

– The law has been very positively received by most public associations, individuals and piticians of the Hungarian minority. They see it as the realization of their demands – with the adtion of the law, they as a national community can fully realize themselves in Ukraine. First and foremost, the positive is due to the educational issue. Hungarians believe that education in their native language is the key to preserving the national community, and if it is taken away, it will inevitably lead to assimilation. Without rejecting the need to know the state language as a factor that will help integrate into society, Hungarians need the portunity to receive education in their native language to preserve their minority. This law provides such an portunity," says eksandr Lyakh.

He emphasized that the processes of integrating this law have not yet been launched in the region, as very little time has passed since it was voted on in the Verkhovna Rada and the mechanisms for its implementation are not yet known.

– "However, there is an understanding in society that it fully ensures the rights of minorities in education, media, book publishing and public use of their native language," Lyakh said.

This week, EU ambassadors visited Transcarpathia and had the portunity to see and get acquainted with the life of the Hungarian community.

– The Hungarian community is honored that their inion is taken into account, that their interests are important to the EU ambassadors and to the state. The ambassadors visited the Ferenc Rákóczi II Institute in Berehove, a higher education institution where Hungarian is the language of instruction. They met with representatives of the minority church denominations and made sure that the region has a full spiritual religious life. They also visited the Kossuth Lyceum in Berehove. The diplomats left here with an absutely positive inion about the life and develment of the community," emphasized eksandr Lyakh.

EXHALE, WAIT FOR DETAILS AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS

At the beginning of the week, representatives of the Hungarian and Slovak communities in Transcarpathia signed an appeal to the heads of government of Hungary and Slovakia, respectively, to support negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU at the summit on December 14-15. The appeal to the official Budapest was signed by Ztan Babiak, head of the Berehovo city territorial community, Carlo Rezesh, head of the Berehovo District Council, Laszlo Zubanych, head of the Democratic Union of Hungarians of Ukraine, Yosyp Rezesh, head of the Foundation for Ukrainian-Hungarian Regional Youth Develment, and Judita Petei, a member of the Transcarpathian Regional Council. Five more territorial communities with ethnic Hungarians joined this appeal the next day – on December 12, it was posted on their resources by Bativska, Velykyoberezka, Velykyobyhanska, Vylotska and Kosonska TGs, as well as the "Association of Border Self-Government Bodies of Transcarpathia," which includes 12 communities in Transcarpathia where the majority or a significant part of the pulation is ethnic Hungarian.

Ukrinform asked the mayor of Berehove, Ztan Babiak, how the Hungarians in his community perceived the new law.

– "We cannot yet speak about the law in detail, because we do not know all the details about how the rights of the minority will change after it comes into force. And also how this law will be integrated into a number of other laws that were adted by the Verkhovna Rada earlier: "On Education" and "On Language". At the moment, the Hungarian community does not yet have a complete understanding of all this. We have to find out whether our minority will be given back all the rights that we had before 2015 and before 2017," Babiak said.

But the Hungarian community recognizes this law as a major integration step of Ukraine into the EU, emphasizes the mayor of Berehove.

– "This is a sign for us that we have been heard. The Hungarians of Transcarpathia participated in the discussion of this law, our civic activists and working groups worked a lot with both government officials and members of the Verkhovna Rada. During President Vodymyr Zelensky's visit to Transcarpathia, we conveyed to him all the prosals of the Hungarian ethnic minority regarding legislation. And this law showed that we were heard. But again, we now have to find out whether our prosals have been taken into account. For example, whether we will be allowed to return the names of streets and settlements in Hungarian: previously, on all signs, we duplicated them in Hungarian after the Ukrainian name, and four years ago it was everywhere. Also, in the seal of Berehove City Council, on our letterheads, we had the minority language next to the state language. We are waiting to see if this will be restored now.

In general, the mayor of Berehove outlined the situation a few days after the law was signed: we are exhaling, waiting for details, and drawing apprriate conclusions.

Tetiana Kohutych, Uzhhorod

Photo from en sources