On the North Frisian coast – the 68th FUEN Congress opens in Husum/Hüsem

The 68th FUEN Congress opened this afternoon (19 September) in bright sunshine in Husum/Hüsem (Germany). Numerous representatives of autochthonous national minorities, nationalities and language communities from around 30 countries will be exchanging views on current developments in the European minority communities until Sunday. This year's host is the ethnic group of the North Frisians and their umbrella organisation "Frasche Rädj / Friesenrat Sektion Nord".

Not far from the North Frisian Wadden Sea, participants can look forward to inspiring discussions, networking and new perspectives over the coming days. What's more, there's something special this year: FUEN is celebrating its 75th anniversary as part of the congress!

The ceremonial opening of the anniversary congress took place in the Husumhus, in the heart of the picturesque old town of Husum/Hüsem. Bahne Bahnsen, who took on the role of host as a North Frisian, welcomed the 180 participants to his home town. In his welcoming address, the FUEN Vice President emphasised the importance of political participation – especially in these times of uncertainty in Europe. Mr Bahnsen called on the participants to become actively involved in political and social life. Bahnsen emphasised that political engagement is the backbone of a functioning democracy and wished those present a productive and inspiring time at the congress in Husum/Hüsem.

Kristina Herbst, President of the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament, emphasised the special importance of minority protection in "her" federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. She underlined that the close coexistence of minorities and the majority population in the German-Danish border region is proof that dialogue and mutual respect form the basis for peaceful coexistence. "Schleswig-Holstein is proud of its minorities and its tradition of minority protection," said Herbst.

She also emphasised that the protection of human and minority rights and the recognition of diversity are the cornerstones on which modern Europe is built. Especially in difficult times, as demonstrated by the Russian war of aggression, FUEN plays a central role in the defence of these values. "Strengthening the protection of minorities is an essential contribution to stability and peaceful coexistence. FUEN is not only perceived as the voice of minorities, but also as an important player in the defence of our common European achievements," Herbst concluded her speech.

Stefan Seidler, member of the German Bundestag and member of the Danish minority in Germany, addressed the current budget situation in Germany and regretted that cuts were also being made to the minorities. Nevertheless, he is in favour of at least maintaining the status quo of subsidies for the minorities. He emphasised how important it is to support minorities, as how they are treated is an indicator of the state of a democracy. According to him, in Germany, democracy is currently under pressure, which is why it is all the more important that the federal government's support for minorities is maintained.

Martin Kindl, Mayor of Husum/Hüsem, expressed his pride that the FUEN annual congress was being organised in "his" town - and emphasised that the minorities in the region were an integral part of society.

At the end of the welcoming speeches, Ilse Johanna Christiansen, who passed away on 15 May this year, was remembered. As a member of the Frisian ethnic group in Germany, she was an indispensable part of the FUEN family for many years.

The hosts of the congress then introduced the North Frisian region, the North Frisians and their institutions in more detail. Five representatives of North Frisian institutions then exchanged views on the situation of their ethnic group. On stage, Christoph Schmidt, Director of the Nordfriisk Instituut, Marie Hahn, Chair of the Friisk Foriining, Ellin Nickelsen, Chair of the Nordfriisk Instituut Association, Heinrich Bahnsen, Chair of the Frisian Council, and Robert Kleih, Managing Director of the Ferring Foundation, spoke about the difficult situation of the Frisian language, campaigns for greater visibility, voluntary work to safeguard Frisian identity and the future potential of the ethnic group.

The second panel of the day was entitled "75 years of FUEN - Proudly standing up for minority rights". This was opened by the FUEN President  Loránt Vincze, Member of the European Parliament. „Today we celebrate 75 years of our organization. It is a moment of joy, an opportunity to express our gratitude” – he said. Even though FUEN is able to celebrate successes, it often encounters closed doors. A recent example: the umbrella organisation’s request to become member of the Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI) of the Council of Europe, was refused, as some states voted against it. But we remain hopeful – said the President, adding a positive turn of events. The new European Commission will have a commissioner for equality, Hadja Lahbib from Belgium, and in her mission letter, Ursula von der Leyen writes: “I would like you to work on safeguarding the rights of persons belonging to minorities in Europe”. According to Vincze, this reference to minorities is the result of their insistence. 

He added that FUEN has a strong vision, that of a Europe of equality where all national minorities are at home, are recognised, supported, their language, culture and way of life defended and promoted. “Do we ever give up? Never! We believe in equality, we believe in human rights, we believe in a Europe of solidarity, we believe in justice, we believe in diversity! Do not try to convince us that national minorities and language groups are not worthy of a European standard of rights!”, concluded the FUEN President.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola sent a video message to the congress: “Through all the challenges Europe has seen in the past seven and a half decades, the Federal Union of European Nationalities has been there, working to protect the rights of minorities, in order to ensure that no one is left behind. FUEN has been a key partner of the European Parliament, offering valuable insight into the reality of minorities across Europe. Thank you for all the work that you do, but allow me to give special thanks to my colleague and friend Loránt Vincze for leading on these issues and more. With his persistence, his insistence and his passion for change, we can be proud to have opened doors that seemed forever closed.”

She emphasized that Europe has never been about making everyone the same, but about everyone having the same rights and opportunities. “That is why the respect for the rights of persons belonging to a minority is one of the core Union values, and that is why it is no coincidence that the European Union's motto is a reflection of just that” – said Roberta Metsola.

The discussions on the first day of the congress were rounded off with three panel discussions, which looked back at the history of FUEN's work and looked ahead to the future. The general consensus here: A Europe without minorities – and also without FUEN – is inconceivable.