Ukraine / The 11 Hungarian points

The 11 Hungarian points that the Hungarian state is asking Ukraine to fulfill (they were formulated during Orbán’s ministry)

1. Ensure at the legal level that school principals do not have the exclusive right to decide on the teaching of individual subjects in Ukrainian/Hungarian (except for the subjects of Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature and Ukrainian history, which are taught in Ukrainian by law).

2. Ensure the use of the Hungarian language in the entire educational process, including the possibility of using the Hungarian language at all other events, meetings, sessions, classes, as well as when developing the image of the institution (in advertising, on the website, etc.).

3. Restore the status of the Hungarian-language “national minority school” at the legal level.

4. Ensure the right to choose the language of instruction for higher education and vocational training institutions, including private institutions.

5. Ensure that graduates receive Hungarian translations of the tasks of the ZNO and NMT upon request (except for the tasks of the Ukrainian language and literature, foreign language).

6. The territorial scope of application of the legislation on language use is not the “administrative unit”, but the “settlement” (which is not a legal administrative unit). Please use the terms “settlement” and “administrative unit” for the territorial scope of application.

7. The presence of a sufficient percentage of the population does not automatically ensure the right to use the language, this also requires a decision by local authorities. Please do not make the application of language rights dependent on the decision of any body (for example, a local government council), while maintaining the required population ratio, but rather ensure them for the national minority on the basis of law (taking into account the latest – currently 2001 – census data).

8. The condition for the exercise of language rights is a ratio of at least 10% of the population in the case of a national minority that has “traditionally” (at least 100 years) lived in a given territory, and 15% in the case of a “significant” minority. We ask that the 10% population ratio set as a condition for the exercise of language rights in the case of a national minority that has “traditionally” (at least 100 years) lived in a given territory be abolished.

9. Language restrictions in everyday life and disproportionate punishment for violating language rules. We ask that language restrictions be completely abolished at the legislative level in the display of place names and geographical names in the language of a national minority, in relations with state authorities and healthcare institutions, during sports events, in the field of tourism, as well as in the mandatory display of information in Ukrainian or in subtitles when distributing any public information (for example, in cinemas, theaters, on posters, in advertisements).

10. Abolish the concept of cultural autonomy. The concept of cultural autonomy should be included in the legal system. Please ensure the right to free use of national symbols and free celebration of national holidays.

11. Restrict the use of the Hungarian language in political life, introduce mandatory knowledge of the state language in public life, abolish the possibility of independent political representation. Please ensure free use of the language during parliamentary and local government elections and referendums, abolish the conditions for the use of the language of the national minority in public life, and ensure the right to representation in parliament.