FUEN President Loránt Vincze, an ethnic Hungarian from Romania, commented on the results of the British referendum to leave the European Union. The President of the biggest umbrella organization of the autochthonous national minorities in Europe with over 90 members from 32 states claims more attention on the situation of autochthonous national minorities in Europe.

“During the last week the European minorities celebrated the EUROPEADA 2016 - the football championship of national minorities - in the beautiful region of South Tyrol where the best of Europe represented themselves. Different minorities and language groups competed for the cup and celebrated diversity in a truly European way. The news of Great Britain leaving the EU is shocking and its consequences are not clear yet. Unfortunately, the EU has distanced itself from its citizens. Europe became the project of the elites and a crisis management centre instead of adjusting itself to the living reality of the people. The minorities of Europe are no exception to this but most of them remain strong advocates of the European cooperation. The EU's structure still offers some kind of reassurance for the minority protection and minority rights, prevailing against the nation-states. This is why we will continue to fight for the common European idea and the European Union. The future of the European minorities stands within the EU.

The BREXIT will surely raise the question of independence in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Europe should not only become an area of conflict between the nations and a federal structure. The success of Europe depends on its ability to become a Europe of the regions and the citizens - they need to be taken seriously and receive support as main objectives of the EU. No one has more insight and competence in this matter than the 65 million people who belong to the autochthonous national minorities of the European Union.

Civil society and involvement should not only remain nice words used in campaign speeches. There is a good chance for this in the near future. Altogether, with its partners the FUEN proposed a citizen's initiative called the Minority SafePack to develop the protection of minorities in the EU. The European Commission rejected this without any solid argumentation hence pushing away its own citizens. We will settle this matter before the court in Luxemburg in order to achieve an effective civil involvement and a European minority protection framework open to the future. We want not only a nice motto about the European cultural and linguistic diversity, but we would like to see those respected and protected. We have concrete proposals to bring the EU closer to its citizens and friendlier to its minorities so let us work together for such a Europe. The European minorities are ready for the mission!”

Flensburg/Brussels, 28 June 2016

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) is the largest umbrella organisation of the autochthonous, national minorities in Europe, with more than 90 member organisations in 32 European countries. 

FUEN represents the interests of these European minorities on the regional, national and in particular on the European level.

FUEN is committed to protect and promote the identity, language, culture, rights and own character of the European minorities. FUEN is the voice of the minorities at the international organisations, notably at the European Union, the Council of Europe and also at the United Nations and the OSCE. FUEN was founded in Paris in 1949, and today it has three offices: in Flensburg, Berlin and Brussels

Loránt VINCZE

FUEN President 

DE office   +49 461 12855
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