MSPI signatures were officially handed over in Germany

On Monday, April 23, FUEN President Loránt Vincze and FUEN Executive Director Éva Pénzes together with the Chairman of the Minority Council of Germany, Karl-Peter Schramm and the Head of the Minority Secretariat, Judit Šołćina presented the 18,955 statements of support for the Minority SafePack Initiative collected in Germany to the competent Federal Office of Administration in Cologne.

The delegation was received by the head of the Department of Administrative and Regulatory Affairs Anja Brandenburg, the division head Astrid Mahr and the official responsible for the of the verification of the MSPI-signatures, Ullrich Schmitz.

In a friendly conversation, the delegation was informed about the verification process of the MSPI signatures in Germany.  The major hurdles of the EU for initiators of European Citizens' Initiatives were also discussed during the conversation. The officials assured the delegation that the European Union will simplify them in the future.

The officials took over the DVD with the online signatures as well as the signatures that were collected on paper and promised to issue the certificate for the MSPI signatures collected in Germany within the 3-month period.

FUEN President Loránt Vincze thanked all supporters of the MSPI in Germany. "This is a powerful message from the communities that ask the European Union for the protection and recognition of national minorities all over Europe" – he said.

The head of the Minority Secretariat JuditŠołćina thanked for the political support of some federal states in Germany and thanked on behalf of all four recognised national minorities in Germany for supporting the initiative.

The chairman of the German Minority Council Karl-Peter Schramm was glad for the national minorities in Germany and said that he hopes "that the desired goals of the Minority SafePack Initiative can be achieved now."