In January 2024, Hungary issued a serious ultimatum to Ukraine regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, which caused significant diplomatic tensions. Budapest is linking the fulfillment of these demands to Ukraine's further progress towards membership in the European Union, which is causing outrage and discussion both in the international community and among political circles in Ukraine itself.
We publish the contents of the ultimatum:
- Expanding the use of the Hungarian language in education – restoring the status of “national minority school” if the school has at least one Hungarian class; choosing the language of instruction for universities and vocational education institutions; the possibility of translating external assessment tasks into Hungarian.
- Defining the entire Transcarpathia region as the territory of traditional Hungarian residence, even where Hungarians have never lived or once lived and left.
- Abolition of the condition of having 10% Hungarians for recognizing a territory as “traditionally Hungarian”.
- Removal of restrictions on displaying toponyms and geographical names in Hungarian, abandonment of the mandatory display of information in Ukrainian.
- Free use of Hungarian symbols and Hungarian holidays.
- Ensuring representation of Hungarians in the Verkhovna Rada and permission to speak in Hungarian.
