Hartmut Koschyk is the first personality to receive the FUEN Prize

Former German Commissioner for Matters Related to Ethnic German Resettlers and National Minorities Hartmut Koschyk is the first to receive the FUEN Prize, awarded to persons who have made a special contribution to dialogue, the protection of national minorities and the coexistence of minorities, language communities and the majority in Europe. The FUEN Presidium’s unanimous choice was based on the dedication, involvement and performances during the many years in which Mr. Koschyk worked on minority protection – said FUEN Vice President Olga Martens in her laudatory speech, adding that Koschyk’s example has to be inspirational to all minorities in Europe.

In his acceptance speech on the first day of FUEN’s 70 year anniversary congress in Pezinok, Slovakia Mr. Koschyk pointed out that the FUEN already existed when he came into this world, but as soon as he started to work on minority issues, their roads met. "FUEN’s message was that minorities have to be considered not a burden, but a contributing, constitutive part of society. FUEN managed to bridge Western Europe and Eastern Europe and was making history. It managed to live through fights and thrive. The Minority SafePack was first dismissed, but due to the perseverance of this organization it started to be perceived as an agenda-setter, and it will play a big role in the new European Union” – said the former commissioner. He pointed out the importance of minority policy to be institutionalized, and he argued that it has to have a representative at the EU level.