Hungary and Ukraine seal historic minority rights accord, unlocking EU accession talks
The deal guarantees protections in education, language, and public administration, fulfilling a key prerequisite for Kyiv’s European Union membership negotiations.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has announced a historic agreement with Ukraine regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in the Transcarpathia region, a development that paves the way for Ukraine to begin European Union accession negotiations. The deal guarantees rights in education, language, and public administration, including bilingual signage where minorities constitute over 10% of the local population. This marks a significant shift from the previous administration of Viktor Orban, who maintained hostile rhetoric toward Kyiv.
Magyar declared in a video posted on Facebook that the two countries had reached an agreement after three weeks of negotiations, stating that Ukraine was prepared to guarantee numerous rights to its Hungarian minority, particularly in education and language. He said that a declaration would soon be signed and that Ukraine had committed to implementing the measures in the near future. Once this happened, he said, the Hungarian government would agree to open the first set of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
The agreement includes provisions for the use of minority languages in public administration, such as bilingual signage for place names and on government buildings, where minorities constitute over 10% of the local population. A joint Ukrainian-Hungarian working group on minority issues, last convened in 2011, will now convene whenever problems arise. Laszlo Zubanics, head of the Hungarian Democratic Federation in Ukraine, welcomed the move, noting that while several minority rights already existed, the existing legislation would be improved and made clearer.
Magyar has expressed readiness to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, potentially in the border town of Berehove, though the timing and Zelenskyy’s agreement remain unconfirmed. A report by the Hungarian news portal Telex revealed that a recent anti-terrorism operation in Hungary, which seized €70 million and nine kilograms of gold from a Ukrainian cash-in-transit vehicle, was politically motivated and coordinated by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban for campaign purposes. Magyar has condemned this way of doing politics in no uncertain terms on several occasions.
The agreement between Ukraine and Hungary could now mark the beginning of a new chapter of constructive relations. "The foundation for a proper partnership has been laid," said Zubanics, highlighting that the current agreement will clear the way for the opening of EU negotiation chapters. Optimistic estimates put the number of ethnic Hungarians in the region at around 80,000, a figure that has declined dramatically since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Magyar has expressed readiness to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, potentially in the border town of Berehove, though the timing and Zelenskyy’s agreement remain unconfirmed. A report by the Hungarian news portal Telex revealed that a recent anti-terrorism operation in Hungary, which seized €70 million and nine kilograms of gold from a Ukrainian cash-in-transit vehicle, was politically motivated and coordinated by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban for campaign purposes. Magyar has condemned this way of doing politics in no uncertain terms on several occasions.
The agreement between Ukraine and Hungary could now mark the beginning of a new chapter of constructive relations. "The foundation for a proper partnership has been laid," said Zubanics, highlighting that the current agreement will clear the way for the opening of EU negotiation chapters. Optimistic estimates put the number of ethnic Hungarians in the region at around 80,000, a figure that has declined dramatically since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
