Eleven Hungarian demands to Ukraine for EU accession have become known

Hungary has outlined 11 requirements for Ukraine to meet for its EU accession, which were communicated to Kyiv in January.

These requirements have been published by “European Pravda.”

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna has stated that Ukraine intends to fully comply with these demands.

Here are the 11 requirements:

1. Legislation on School Directors’ Authority: Legally revoke the unilateral right of school directors to decide on the language of instruction (Ukrainian/Hungarian) for specific subjects, except for “Ukrainian Language,” “Ukrainian Literature” and “History of Ukraine,” which must be taught in Ukrainian as per the relevant law.
2. Use of Hungarian in Education: Ensure the use of the Hungarian language throughout the entire educational process, including all activities, meetings, sessions and in the creation of the institution’s image (e.g., in advertisements, websites, etc.).
3. Status of “National Minority School”: Legally restore the status of “national minority school” with instruction in Hungarian.
4. Choice of Language in Higher Education: Ensure the right to choose the language of instruction for universities and vocational education institutions, including private ones.
5. Translation of Exam Tasks: Provide the option for school graduates to request the translation of External Independent Evaluation (ZNO) and National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) tasks into Hungarian (except for tasks in Ukrainian language and literature, and foreign languages).
6. Territorial Application of Language Legislation: Use “settlement” (a legally non-administrative unit) as the territorial sphere of language legislation application, rather than “administrative unit.” Request to use “settlement” and “administrative unit” as the territorial application criteria.
7. Automatic Language Rights: Abolish the requirement that local authorities must decide on the extensive use of a native language when the necessary percentage of the national minority is present. Budapest requests that the exercise of language rights not be tied to any body’s decision (e.g., local council) if the necessary population ratio is met.
8. Threshold for Language Rights: For the implementation of language rights for national minorities residing in a given area “traditionally” (at least 100 years), the population percentage should be at least 10%, and for a “significant number” of minorities, 15%. Request to remove the 10% population requirement for national minorities residing “traditionally” (at least 100 years).
9. Geographical Names and Public Information: Completely lift language restrictions on displaying toponyms and geographical names in the minority language, in contacts with government bodies and in healthcare institutions. Also, remove the mandatory display of information in Ukrainian or the use of subtitles when disseminating public information (e.g., in cinemas, theaters, posters, advertisements).
10. Cultural Autonomy Concept: Revoke the current concept of cultural autonomy. Include the concept of cultural autonomy in the legal system. Ensure the right to freely use national symbols and celebrate national holidays.
11. Language Use in Elections and Public Life: Ensure free use of languages during parliamentary and local elections and referendums, remove conditions on the use of the minority language in public life and secure representation rights in parliament.

The negotiation document for Ukraine’s EU accession includes Hungary’s demands regarding the protection of national minorities.