European Parliament listens attentively to what FUEN has to tell

On Thursday 20 January 2017, FUEN had the privilege to be able to present its organisation, network and programme of activities to the European Parliament. At the well attended meeting of the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages, FUEN President Loránt Vincze gave the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) an update on the latest developments inside FUEN and the programme of activities for the coming year.

The co-chairs of the Minority Intergroup, Ms Kinga Gál (Hungary), Mr Nils Torvalds (Swedish speaking community in Finland) and Mr Josep-Maria Terricabras (Catalan) praised the FUEN as the umbrella organization of the European minorities, which is visible in Brussels and more and more active in its European lobby work. President Loránt Vincze expressed his believe that the FUEN will have a strong cooperation with the Intergroup also in the future. He outlined “It is good to know that there is a strong group of members in the European Parliament that support the ambitions of the autochthonous minorities, and that you are convinced that the European Union can do much more for us”.

President Loránt Vincze told the Members about the 68-year long history of FUEN. The organisation has currently 93 members from 32 countries. The autochthonous national minorities that FUEN stand up for are in total with around 60 million people in the EU alone: a significant number that cannot be ignored. With its Presidium and Secretariat, the Working Groups for the German, Slavic and Turkic minorities, as well as with the European Dialogue Forum for the contacts with the European institutions, FUEN organises many activities throughout the year.

FUEN is open to any partnership that will advance the rights of the European minorities and promote the linguistic and cultural diversity in Europe. FUEN does this with other NGOs, works together with research centres and academic establishments and engages with politicians and institutions on local, regional, national and international level.

In 2016, FUEN was involved in the actions in relation to the German Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Within this framework FUEN organised projects to support minorities in the Western Balkans region by sharing good practices tried out in the German-Danish border region. FUEN also held a seminar with its member organisation from the Caucasus area. Furthermore it supported and attended several meetings and projects of the OSCE in the minority field. 

In the Council of Europe, FUEN is working together with Members of the Parliamentary Assembly on establishing a new structure, similar to the Intergroup of the European Parliament to give more attention to minority issues.

Other very important activities in 2016 were the EUROPEADA, the football championship of the autochthonous, national minorities in South Tyrol and the court hearing of the Minority SafePack Initiative, the European Citizens’ Initiative for the European minorities. The judgment in the case will be announced on 3 February 2017.

FUEN and its projects are sponsored by a wide range of regional and national authorities, including Denmark, the German Federal Republic, the regions of Trentino-South Tyrol in Italy, Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg and Saxony in Germany, Carinthia in Austria and the German-speaking Community in Belgium. President Vincze was glad to be able to announce that from this year on, also Hungary will provide significant financial support for the work that FUEN is undertaking for the European minorities.

Mr. Vincze told the Members of the European Parliament that support from the European institutions would be highly welcome too. He outlined “more important than financial support, we hope that the European Commission will recognize the importance of protecting the autochthonous minority languages and cultures and will accept the extension of existing programs and directives to make also the minority groups beneficiaries and part of the European policies.”

Over the past years, FUEN has been trying to support its members by giving attention to their problems and by raising these issues at the different forums where FUEN is active. President Loránt Vincze announced that FUEN wants to reinforce this, and create a Minority Monitor, where good examples and bad situations can be shared.

In 2017, FUEN also wants to bring together those regions in Europe where the minorities are living, in order to foster stronger cooperation between these regions for the benefit of the European minorities.

Furthermore the annual FUEN Congress will in 2017 take place in Cluj / Kolozsvár / Klausenburg, in Romania, from 17-21 May 2017. The congress will have three main theme: Modernity and innovation in the minority communities, Contribution of autochthonous minorities to the European cultural heritage and Practices and challenges of National-Cultural Autonomy. 

The just-elected speaker of the European Dialogue Forum (EDF), Jens A. Christiansen explained the composition of the EDF and spoke about how it wants to work together with the partners in the Minority Intergroup to improve the situation of the minorities in Europe, mainly by working together on proposals and by gathering information about common problems that the European minorities are facing. 

Bernard Gaida, member of the European Dialogue Forum and also the speaker of the German Working Group inside FUEN, told about the work of the German Working Group inside FUEN, one of the three groups consisting of specific communities. For the more than 20 member organisations united in the German Working Group, it is very important to have a close relationship with their kin-state, Germany. That this is felt the same on the part of the German Federal Republic, was shown last November as the German Working Group inside FUEN was celebrating their 25^th anniversary in Berlin. During their stay, the Working Group had meetings on the highest level, including with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mr Gaida and Mr Rafał Bartek, who are both members of the German minority in Poland, spoke subsequently of the difficult situation in relation to the change of administrative border around the city of Opole. The changes have as a consequence that many minority rights that were granted because of a high percentage of Germans in the population of the surrounding municipalities, are now revoked. The ruling party pushed through the reform against the will of a large majority of the population, and during the process it has labelled the German minority as disloyal citizens. He asked the MEPs to support the petition that was sent to the European Parliament on this matter.

On behalf of the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN), Matic Germovšek presented the activities of the youth organisation affiliated to FUEN and the ways YEN is providing a space for young people to discover their identity, allowing young people from minorities to find out that they are not aliens, that there are many more people in Europe in a similar situation. With non-formal education, seminars, and campaigns YEN is empowering them and giving them the tools they need.

Members of the European Parliament, Mr Marek Plura and Ms Danuta Jazłowiecka pledged their unwavering support to the protestors in Opole, and asked their colleagues if the petition could be handled fast. Mr Winkler suggested that the Intergroup should help FUEN to get an official advisory status at the Parliament and very much welcomed the idea of the Minority Monitor, sharing information on various minorities across Europe, because Opole is by far not the only example in Europe that needs attention.

Mr Posselt urged to take politicians or parties to account that engage in such anti-minority-policies. These are clearly actions contrary to European values and they must be adamantly opposed. Ms Ni Riada emphasised that all minority-friendly and diversity-friendly people must find allies also outside the room and put pressure on national governments, since “we should not only engage with friends, but also convince those who are against, or those who are not interested in the issue”.

The co-chairs of the Intergroup wished FUEN well with all activities, and would be happy to see FUEN again soon.