FUEN’s European Dialogue Forum (EDF) holds talks in Strasbourg

A delegation of the European Dialogue Forum (EDF) of FUEN visited the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg (France) from 27 to 29 January 2025. The aim of the discussions with PACE members from Poland (Wanda Nowicka, Paweł Jabłoński, Aleksandra Leo, Mirosław Adam Orliński), Finland (Miapetra Kumpula-Natri), Moldova (Natalia Davidovici), Spain (Nerea Ahedo) and Serbia (Elvira Kovács) as well as with Elise Cornu and Kinga Jensen-Magyar from the Council of Europe’s Directorate General for Democracy and Dignity was to strengthen the protection of minorities at the European level and to present FUEN’s work.

At the center of the discussions was FUEN’s proposal to establish a Minority Intergroup within PACE. According to FUEN, this group should – similar to the existing Minority Intergroup in the European Parliament – enable a permanent dialogue between political decision-makers and civil society representatives of national minorities. The focus would be on the exchange of best practices and the improvement of minority protection through the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) in the member states of the Council of Europe.

Another key discussion topic was the inclusion of national minority issues in the agendas of the Polish and Danish Presidencies of the Council of the European Union in 2025. The EDF delegation emphasised the need to further integrate minority protection into European institutions, particularly through the implementation of the demands of the Minority SafePack Initiative and by strengthening cooperation between the Council of the European Union and the recently re-established Minority Intergroup in the European Parliament.

Additionally, the EDF members presented FUEN’s initiative to establish a European Forum, which would serve as a joint consultative body of minority experts and civil society under the umbrellas of the Council of Europe and the European Union. FUEN advocates for the Council of Europe to prioritize the protection of national minorities and to expand cooperation with civil society organisations by facilitating their participation as observers in relevant bodies.

Furthermore, the EDF members called for a reassessment of the Council of Europe's decision to deny FUEN observer status in the Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI). The EDF delegation reaffirmed FUEN’s commitment to combating discrimination, promoting diversity, and ensuring the full societal participation of national minorities. They also underscored FUEN’s role as a critical voice when states implement measures that negatively affect minorities.

Last but not least, the EDF also presented the FUEN project Women of Minorities to the PACE members.

The EDF delegation consisted of Jens A. Christiansen (Danish minority in Germany), Olivia Schubert (German minority in Hungary; FUEN Vice President), Bernard Gaida (German minority in Poland; FUEN Vice President) and Wolodymyr Leysle (German minority in Ukraine). The EDF members were accompanied by Kateryna Haertel and Johan Häggman from FUEN’s Brussels office.