Hungary: Ukrainian language law is unacceptable
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the language law which was approved on Thursday by the Verkhovna Rada is unacceptable, reported Evropeyska Pravda, citing the online news website, Hirado.
According to Szijjarto, the Ukrainian language law violates Hungarian minority rights and reflects the vision of President Petro Poroshenko, who, according to the Hungarian minister, promoted anti-Hungarian policies.
“However, an overwhelming majority of Ukrainian voters chose to elect another president, Vladimir Zelensky, to bring an end to the Poroshenko era,” Szijjarto said.
“We hope that, driven by mutual respect and a desire to find a solution, we will receive clarification on the laws affecting the rights of the Hungarian community, with the new, widely-supported incoming president,” the minister said.
He sees hope in the Ukrainian president-elects’s first statements.
“Our goal is to rekindle the friendship between Hungary and Ukraine and the results of the last presidential election in Ukraine give us some hope,” Peter Szijjarto said.
On April 25, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada adopted on second reading the law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as a State Language”. Revisions had begun on February 28.
Bill №5670-d was supported by 278 deputies. The minimum number needed was 226.
According to the bill, within six months the Cabinet of Ministers will introduce a draft law on protecting the languages of indigenous peoples and national minorities.
It is known that Hungary is also unhappy about the new law on education. The country accused Ukraine of not respecting the rights of minorities and announced its intention to block Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.