Minority Commissioner is more needed than ever before

“There is a wide gap between the expectations and our capabilities to act for the minorities on the European level with our limited financial resources. We are very disappointed that the Federal Republic of Germany once again did not accord the operational funding that is needed already for such a long time to create a real thrust”, said the President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities, Hans Heinrich Hansen, about the rejection by the Federal Republic of Germany to grant operational funding to FUEN.

We invested strongly in our citizens’ initiative for the protection of the minorities by the European Union, based on the assumption that our continuing professionalisation would be rewarded some day, also in a financial sense. All the same, we were disappointed once again, despite the demands by the Lands of Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony to the Federal Republic to allocate more funds for FUEN. We have reached the limits of self-exploitation, according to Hans Heinrich Hansen.

“Only few days ago I was certain that the Federal Republic of Germany would finally acknowledge our work by granted operational funding, which would make it possible for us to do the work we are good at and want to do for the benefit of the minorities in Europe, permanently and with some certainty in long-term planning. We built up a good reputation; we have a larger presence than before, but have to remain in standby mode. On the longer term that is very unsatisfying. The activities of FUEN also shine a bright light on the country and on its minority policy. The fact that over the past years there is nothing more than good words and statements of intend, that is very disappointing for all of us who are active in FUEN.

”“We need a greater recognition for the minorities in Europe and therefore we are very pleased that the Schleswig-Holstein Parliament (Landtag) supports our request for a Commissioner for Minorities unanimously and that the Schleswig-Holstein Parliament also unanimously advocates for granting operational funding to FUEN by the Federal Republic of Germany.”