FUEN Delegation Holds Political Talks in Berlin

On 17 and 18 September, a FUEN delegation was in Berlin to discuss key concerns of European minority policy with members of the German Bundestag as well as other political representatives. The delegation included FUEN Vice Presidents Olivia Schubert, Bernard Gaida and Nabi Ibraimtzik, as well as FUEN Secretary General Éva Pénzes.

The discussions covered a broad range of topics: from the situation of national minorities in Europe to the support of German minorities abroad, as well as questions regarding the funding of projects and activities of FUEN and its member organisations. The future of the Minority SafePack Initiative (MSPI), the issue of geo-blocking, and the football championship of minorities, the EUROPEADA, were also on the agenda.

The meetings took place with:

• Klaus-Peter Willsch, Member of the Bundestag, Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on expellees, resettlers and German minorities,
• Kathrin Michel, Member of the Bundestag, member of the Budget Committee,
• Christoph de Vries, Member of the Bundestag, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior,
• Knut Abraham, Member of the Bundestag, Coordinator of German-Polish Intersocietal and Cross-Border Cooperation and Head of the Bundestag delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
• Stefan Seidler, Member of the Bundestag for the South Schleswig Voters’ Association (SSW), advisory member of the Budget Committee,
• Maylis Roßberg, SSW politician and President of the European Free Alliance Youth (EFAY).

FUEN took the opportunity to point out the need for national minorities to be given greater consideration in European funding programmes. It became increasingly clear that many of the existing challenges require new political approaches and reliable partners in the German Bundestag.