Council of Europe Urges Head to Prioritize Minority Rights
MEP Loránt Vincze Calls for Greater Attention to Rights of Indigenous National Minorities
Loránt Vincze, MEP of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), recently met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to address the importance of prioritizing the rights of indigenous national minorities. During the meeting, he proposed the creation of an intergroup on minorities in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Vincze emphasized the need to bring minority rights back to the top of the Council of Europe’s agenda, as he believes this topic has been neglected in recent years. He highlighted the significance of the Council of Europe’s instruments for the protection of minorities, such as the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
With his role as the President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), Vincze shared his experience in advocating for minority rights and called for a revision of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union to give greater emphasis to the protection of minorities.
Furthermore, Vincze proposed the creation of an intergroup on minorities in the PACE to raise awareness of minority issues and suggested cooperation between the two institutions to make better use of their knowledge and experience in protecting minority rights.
As President of FUEN, Vincze also mentioned the organization’s preparation of a manifesto in collaboration with international experts to outline plans and perspectives for indigenous minorities, seeking the support and partnership of the Council of Europe.
In addition to discussing minority rights, the meeting also touched upon the upcoming Romanian presidential elections. Vincze noted that the parties in the governing coalition plan to run a joint candidate to prevent extremists from leading the country off the European path and back to the past.
Overall, Vincze’s efforts and proposals aim to ensure the protection and promotion of minority rights at both the national and European levels, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and joint action in advancing the rights of indigenous national minorities.
