The Question of National Minorities in the European Parliament Between 2014 and 2019: A Hungarian Perspective
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Date
2020
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Manzinger Krisztián: The Question of National Minorities in the European Parliament Between 2014 and 2019: A Hungarian Perspective. Hungarian Journal of Minority Studies, 3. évfolyam, 2020. 7-30 p.
MTMT:
31682611
Abstract
The European Parliament, due to the direct election of the MEPs, is an institution willing to represent the interests of European national minorities and regional communities, compared to other EU institutions, with the exception of the Committee of Regions. During the 2014–2019 term, various questions of national minorities were discussed in the Minority Intergroup, which is an informal but officially recognized group of MEPs, and in the Committees of the Parliament. Individual MEPs, either alone or together with other colleagues, also organized events and conferences on minority topics. Despite the EU being generally reluctant when it comes to national minorities, the plenary of the European Parliament adopted important resolutions on the matter during the term, urging the European Commission to create an EU legal framework for protecting national minorities. While the events, conferences and resolutions did not lead to a breakthrough, even keeping the issue on the agenda is a success, in a milieu often hostile to discuss minority problems seen as offences to national sovereignty. Altogether, important steps forward are greatly needed to secure a more just, equal and citizen-friendly Europe; this is where discussions on minority issues within the EP, for instance, could foster improvement.
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European Union ; European Parliament ; minority policy ; national minorities