FUEN strengthens exchange with political stakeholders and minority organisations in the German-Danish border region

As part of a visit to Schleswig-Holstein and the German-Danish border region, FUEN President Olivia Schubert, together with FUEN Vice President Bahne Bahnsen and FUEN Secretary General Éva Pénzes, held a series of political meetings and exchanged views with FUEN member and partner organisations. The focus was on current challenges in minority policy in Europe, the situation of minorities on the ground, and concrete challenges in the daily work of minority organisations.

The visit took place from 23 to 26 March and brought the delegation to Flensburg, Oeversee, Kiel, Bredstedt, and Aabenraa/Apenrade in Denmark.

The programme began with an exchange at the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) in Flensburg. In discussions with Prof. Dr. Vello Pettai, Director of ECMI, and Dr. Andreea Cârstocea, Senior Researcher and Head of ECMI’s Equality and Inclusion section, the focus was on current developments in European minority policy as well as possible points of departure for closer cooperation between ECMI and FUEN. The discussion highlighted the potential of strengthening the link between research and practice.

On 24 March, the FUEN President attended the General Assembly of the Minderheiten-Kompetenz-Netzwerk (MKN) at the Akademiezentrum Sankelmark and used the opportunity to introduce herself to the network of national and regional minorities in the German-Danish border region. During the meeting, FUEN Secretary General Éva Pénzes, in her role as outgoing MKN treasurer, presented the annual financial statement and the budget plan for 2026. A new board was subsequently elected. Uwe Jessen was confirmed as chair, Gösta Toft succeeded Éva Pénzes, and Matthäus Weiß assumed the representation of Sinti and Roma on the MKN board.

Also on 24 March, the FUEN delegation met with representatives of the Sydslesvigsk Forening (SSF) at Flensborghus. The SSF is the main cultural organisation of the Danish minority in Schleswig-Holstein and plays a central role as both a cultural institution and an advocacy body. Participants included SSF Chair Gitte Hougaard-Werner, Vice Chair Kirsten Vognsen Weiss, Secretary General Lasse Rodewald, and Press Officer Rasmus Meyer. The discussion covered, among other topics, funding, media and geoblocking, as well as the relationship between majority society and minorities. The role of exchange and encounters between different minorities in Europe was also addressed.

On 25 March, the visit continued in Kiel. At the State Chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein, the FUEN delegation met with Johannes Callsen, Commissioner for Minorities of the Minister President, and Sonja Wolf, Desk Officer for Minority Policy. The discussion focused on the issue of geoblocking, strengthening minorities in the media sector, and questions related to EU trademark law. In particular, cases were discussed in which terms from minority languages have been registered as trademarks, restricting their free use. Callsen also referred to the Digital Acceleration Act, which is intended to take regional and minority languages into account in its implementation, and underlined Schleswig-Holstein’s support for anchoring national minorities in the German Basic Law.

Following this, the delegation met with Christian Dirschauer, Chair of the parliamentary group of the South Schleswig Voters’ Association (SSW), at the Schleswig-Holstein State Parliament. The discussion addressed the current situation of the Danish minority in Schleswig-Holstein. While many aspects are functioning well, ongoing challenges remain, for example regarding the use of minority and regional languages in court. The planned abolition of municipal minority reports was also raised critically. Another key focus was the European level and the question of how existing opportunities for influence can be used more effectively.

On the same day, the FUEN delegation visited the Friisk Hüs in Bredstedt/Bräist. There, they met with Marie Hahn, Chair of the Friisk Foriining, Ilwe Boysen, Managing Director, Ellin Nickelsen, Chair of the Nordfriisk Instituut, and Ingwer Nommensen, Chair of the Frasche Rädj / Friesenrat Section North. The discussion centred on EU trademark law, in particular the Öömrang case, in which the name of the Frisian language on the island of Amrum has been registered as a trademark. The participants agreed that there is a need for political action in this regard. In addition, the current situation of the Frisian community was discussed, including challenges such as attracting young people and strengthening youth engagement.

The visit concluded on 26 March with a meeting with the Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger (BDN) in Aabenraa/Apenrade in Denmark. In discussions with BDN Chair Hinrich Jürgensen and Secretary General Uwe Jessen, the work and structure of the German minority in Denmark were presented. A key focus was the planned Campus Apenrade, whose development is scheduled to be completed by 2030. On the grounds of the German Gymnasium for North Schleswig, a boarding school, merged kindergartens, and shared facilities are to be established. The delegation also received a guided tour of Haus Nordschleswig, including a presentation of the German Central Library and Library Center in Apenrade/Aabenraa by Library Director Claudia Knauer.

The discussions made clear that many challenges, ranging from media access and legal issues to the visibility of minorities, extend far beyond individual regions and must be addressed at the European level.

FUEN will incorporate the insights gained into its ongoing work and will continue to deepen its exchange with political decision makers and its member organisations.