NewsHungary conditions EU talks on minority rights in Ukraine

Hungary conditions EU talks on minority rights in Ukraine

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó is conditioning further talks on Ukraine's accession to the EU upon the restoration of rights for the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. The politician accused the authorities in Kyiv of deviating from "European principles and values."

Ukraine's Accession to the EU? Hungary Sets Conditions
Ukraine's Accession to the EU? Hungary Sets Conditions
Images source: © EPA, PAP | LUONG THAI LINH
Violetta Baran

What do you need to know?

  • Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó is linking further negotiations about Ukraine's accession to the European Union with the regulation of the status of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Transcarpathia.
  • Szijjártó accuses the authorities in Kyiv of departing from "European principles and values."
  • Hungary, as the only EU country, did not adopt provisions for further support for Ukraine during the last EU summits in Brussels.

Why is Hungary setting conditions?

Szijjártó announced in a Facebook post on Saturday that he raised the issue of the status of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine during a phone conversation with Austria's Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger. The head of Hungarian diplomacy believes that Kyiv must address this issue as a condition for commencing the next stage of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

The minister accused the Ukrainian authorities of failing to restore the rights that the Hungarian minority in Ukraine lost in 2015, despite promises to do so. "Such a situation is unacceptable and is completely contrary to European principles and values," wrote Szijjártó.

In 2001, 150,000 Hungarians lived in Transcarpathia

Three days ago, on 20th March, Hungary - as the only member country of the European Union - did not adopt provisions on further support for Ukraine during the EU summit in Brussels. A similar situation occurred on 6th March, during a previous meeting of the Community's leaders.

According to the 2001 census, around 150,000 Hungarians lived in Ukraine's Transcarpathia at that time. Currently, precise data is lacking, but some estimates suggest that the Hungarian community in this region may have reduced by even half.

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