|
News |
|
20-10-2010 LANGUAGE RIGHTS IN ROMANIA DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAPER AND PRACTICE On paper Romania is a country that does not assimilate its autonomous peoples by force. It is even a place where old ethnic controversies have been abolished completely. It is even a country where autonomous people are protected by righteous laws and treaties. In practice these rights are violated on a very great scale. Here you can read about ten cases in which Romania seriously breaches its own domestic, bilateral, European and international legal obligations. The crystal clear law 215 of 2001, which states that the use of the autonomous language is compulsory in administrative regions where the population is higher than 20 % is simply violated on a large scale. We asked the competent authorities to comply with the law, here you can read more.
|
|
20-10-2010 MISSING BILINGUAL SIGNS IN CENTRAL EUROPE The ANWB (Dutch automobile club) yearly publishes very useful maps for its members, however it seems that the ANWB is not consistent regarding the use of bilingual signs in Central Europe. When it comes to Swedes in Finland, German Speaking Italians or Basks bilingual signs are used. However in the case of the new Europe (Romania and Slovakia) these bilingual signs are missing. We wrote a letter to the ANWB to correct this. (Dutch Language version Only) |
|
20-11-2010 LANGUAGE RIGHTS IN CENTRAL EUROPE For a person grown up in the Netherlands it is the most natural thing to stand up for their rights. A Western European citizen will not hesitate to file a complaint to the public authorities or will not hesitate to use legal means to enforce the use of their rights. The Hungarian speaking autonomous population of Romania and Slovakia shows reflexes, with regards to civil rights, that are hard to understand for a person being grown up in an open and free society. These differences in attitude are at least very remarkable, since we all live in a United Europe, where equal norms and rules apply. You can read more about language rights in Central Europe in the following article. (Dutch only ) |
|
20-11-2010 PLEASE HELP US HELP Our foundation sends a yearly mailing in which we ask for donations, the Dutch and Hungarian language versions can be accessed here. European Committee Human Rights Hungarians Central Europe is an independent foundation that strives for the creation of a Central Europe where discrimination on the bases of race, language and ethnicity are abolished. By this way we would kindly ask you to support our foundation. You can support us anonymously or by bank transfer. Donations to our foundation are tax deductible from Dutch income tax. |
|
23-05-2011 NASTY NATIONALISM RETURNS TO CLUJ NAPOCA. Last Monday 23 may, all public welcome signs at the entrance of the city disappeared. These welcome sign, also welcomed the visitor in the Hungarian language , which is the native tongue of almost 20 % of the population of this city, and it used to be over 50 % before the post second World war ethnic cleansing. Together with the removal of these signs, a very discriminative sign has been placed at the statue of king Mátyás, which is the symbol of the Hungarian community of this city. We issued a press statement regarding these discriminative events (Dutch language). We also sent a letter to the mayor of Cluj-Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár) urging him to dissociate himself from the heritage of Funar and to pay attention to ratified European laws, such as the European Charta for regional languages. The public letter to Mr. Apostu can be read here in English, Hungarian German Romanian and Dutch. |
|
25-05-2011 LANGUAGE ARROGANCE IN TARGU MURES ( MAROSVÁSÁRHELY ) On the website of Targu Mures airport not a word can be found in English or Hungarian. Hungarian speaking staff is underrepresented at the airport. Although 80 % of the passengers is Hungarian speaking. Also the counties that are being served by the airport are mainly Hungarian speakingé Maros over 40 % , Hargitha 90 % and Kovászna 80 %. As a local public governmental body the usage of the Hungarian language in public announcements is compulsory, according to the Romanian law215 /2001. The way in which the language needs of the passengers are dealt with is unprecedented in Western-Europe. An example might be Weeze Airport, where German, Dutch and English language inscriptions can be found. Unfortunately the director of Targu Mures Airport neglects the language rights of its passengers, in the letter that we wrote to him, we kindly ask him to comply with national law and with basic language rights. (Hungarian only ) |
|
25-05-2011 ANWB CHANGES ROMANIAN AND SLOVAKIAN MAPS In 2010 September we wrote a short letter to the ANWB (Dutch Automobile club), we informed them about an inconsistency regarding the usage of bilingual place names in Europe. We noticed that bilingual signs were used for the Swedish speaking Finns, the Basks in Spain, the German speaking Italians, however bilingual signs were missing for Slovakia and Romania. The ANWB was so kind to correct this inconsistency Thanks ANWB. Here you can see the old maps for Slovakia and Romania and the new maps for Slovakia and Romania. |
|
02-08-2011 RESPECTING EUROPEAN LAWS IS A SENSIBLE TOPIC IN ROMANIA On 26-07-2011 the treasurer of the foundation placed a sticker on the illegal an monolingual plaque of the historian Iorga, which had been placed on the 23th of may next to the statue of king Matthias in Cluj Napoca, (Hungarian Kolozsvár). The sticker contains the following text. Where is the Hungarian inscription? We live here as well. Start to respect European Laws right now! Unfortunately respecting European treaties concerning language rights and civil rights is still a very sensible theme in Romania. Although Romania ratified the Charta for regional languages in 2008, many language rights deriving from this treaty, such as receiving basic public information in Hungarian are still denied. You can read our press release here. (Dutch language only) The videos of this action can be viewed under the multimedia section or by pressing this link. The video clearly shows that this plaque is guarded by the city council of Cluj-Napoca. |
|
02.07.2011 MISSING LANGUAGE INSCRIPTION AT THE POLICE IS DISCRIMINATION Recently the anti discrimination Council of Bucharest ordered that missing bilingual signs at Romanian police stations are discriminative. According to the Romanian 215/2001 law on public administration bilingual language services are obligatory at ever public institution, which lays within a region where at least 20 % of the population was ethnic Hungarian in 1992. Tordaszentlászlo (Romanian : Savadisla ) is consisting for over 50 % of ethnic Hungarians nevertheless not a single Hungarian word can be found at the police station. A list of municipalities where the Hungarian language can be used in public administration can be found here. We hope that the policy of Cluj County will change this soon and will start to comply with law. The verdict of the anti discrimination council can be read here. (Romanian Language Version only) |
|
18-02-2015 Ethnic hate in Cluj-Napoca / Kolozsvár / Klausenburg On February the 5th the court of Cluj-Napoca annulled court order nr 4800, which ordered the placement of bilingual Romanian-Hungarians place signs at the entrance of Cluj-Napoca, since the city council and the major of Cluj-Napoca lodged an appeal The court didnt repudiate our language claims, but ruled that a Dutch NGO had no competency in this matter and therefore the act has been annulled. Till present day ethnic autonomous Hungarian speaking Romanians are subject to ethnic hate in Cluj-Napoca. On public media several inhabitants of this city reacted with hateful, racist , xenophobic and discriminating remarks to this news. This proves that a part of the population is still afraid of ethnic Hungarians and is ignorant about their citizens rights. |
|
17-06-2016 PRESS RELEASE CAMPAIGN WHO MADE THE EUROPEAN DREAM A NIGHTMARE? Since the European Union is incapable to maintain and protect its own core values such as human rights, European Identity and Rule of law, the population of the UK has no other moral choice than to choose for leaving the European Union on the 23th of June. |
|
01-05-2015 Publication Igentessék Magazine Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca ) Pot Calling the Kettle Black Recently channel 4 made a report on immigration from Romania to Great Britain. the Romanian ambassador in England and the prime mister of Romania, totally lack any moral ground to complain about the alleged discrimination of Romanians in England. They should have a look in the mirror before lecturing the British on discrimination. Appeared in the Romanian press Romanian version here ; Hungarian version here . |
|
01-08-2016 Campaign Who made the European Dream a Nightmare is compliant with the Dutch Code of Advertising ( Nederlandse Reclame Code) The poster used by stichting European Language Rights, which contains the text Who made the European Dream a Nightmare, Romania should go and not the UK ! Is compliant with the high ethical standards of the Advertising Code of Dutch Advertising Association ( Stichting Reclame Code ). Their legally binding decision can be found here, the whole case can be found here |
|
16-03-2016 Press Release. The foundation European Language Rights presents its Report Treason to law. In our compliancy report of European Language Rights in Romania, Ukraine and report we advise against the ratification of the association agreement with the Ukraine by the Netherlands. Our main objective is that Romania, which is not only a neighbor of Ukraine and Moldavia, but also shares the same geopolitical language situation , proves the lack of rule of law and the incapability of the European Union to defend its own core values and ensure compliancy with those treaties, which were a prerequisite of EU and NATO membership of Romania. ( Dutch Version Of Treason to Law, English Version of Treason to Law, Hungarian Version of Treason to law, Romanian Version of Treason to law ) |
|
18-03-2016 The Foundation European Language Rights launches its Vote No Campaign. Our campaign site can be found here. You can find all our campaign material on this website. Also our Report Treason to law can be downloaded from this site. (Dutch Version only ) |
|
05-09-2017 Press Release Nationalistic Hysteria in Romania ( Dutch version only ) |
|
05-05-2018 What About the Language Rights of the Speakers of the Second National Language of the Netherlands ? The Foundation sent a Letter in Frisian to the Court of Ljouwert. ( Dutch Version, Frisian version ) |
|
19-04-2018 Press Release European Union Please Respect the Principle of Equality. ( Dutch version only ) |
|
PRESS RELEASE 15-11-2018 IT KIN NET. The foundation European Language Rights launched its It Kin Net campaign, which is Frisian for: It Can Not. Purpose of our campaign is to rise the general publics awareness about the undeniable rights of the Frisian National minority of having an own identity. |
|
17-10-2022 The Foundation launches Stop Campaign EU candidate Ukraine has failed to comply with the requests of the European Commission to meet European Human Rights standards regarding the protection of autonomous minorities due to its refusal to implement the Venice Commissions recommendations amongst others. |
|
01-09-2022 Opinion ND Forbidden to Speak Hungarian. ( Hungarian Version, Original Dutch Version ) In the interview with Ukrainian ambassador Maksym Kononenko, he quotes the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Eelco van Kleffens who fled to England during the Second World War (ND 29 August): 'A characteristic part of the Dutch character is the curious sympathy for the underdog.' Perhaps Kononenko can also reflect on what his country is doing to vulnerable historical communities. |
|
01-07-2022 Open Letter to all Political Parties in the Netherlands. ( Dutch Only ) Although the Dutch government has agreed to Ukraine's candidacy for the European Union, Ukraine has failed to make credible efforts to meet the Copenhagen Criteria. After all, Ukraine could have done this by immediately suspending the discriminatory language law. |
|
21-04-2022 Letter NRC Ukraine Minority Rights ( Dutch Version, Hungarian Version ) The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba wishes to make Ukraine a candidate member of the EU. Immediately after the ratification of the Association Agreement, Ukraine adopted a language law prohibiting the public use of minority languages. Ukraine has arrogantly ignored all the protests against this. With this language law, which it adopted on its own initiative, Ukraine has proven to have nothing to do with European values. |
|
01-04-2022 Recommendations regarding increasing the visibility of the Frisian language and identity. Here you can download the Oanfalsplan fergrutsjen sichtberens Fryske Taal en identiteit in Fryslân. (Frisian Only) The accompanying memo can be found here. |
|
Opinion ND 31-03-2022 No Unconditional Support for Ukraine ( Dutch Version)( Hungarian Version ) The Dutch government should attach conditions to any form of support for Ukraine, such as the requirement that the treaties of basic human rights of autonomous minorities ratified by Ukraine be exemplary respected After all, these treaties are the guarantee of peace and stability. |
|
14-02-2022 Interpreters Protest from 14-02-2022 to 21-02-2022. Without Language Rights There is no Rule of Law. (Dutch Version) |
|
12-02-2022 Publication NRC Consequences of Ukrainian Language Law. Although this law is directed against Russian, the speakers of Hungarian, Romanian and Polish in Ukraine are simply sucked into the conflict with Russia as collateral damage by Ukraine. ( Hungarian Version ) (Original Dutch Version ) 24-12-2021 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year |
|
21-01-2021 Opinion ND In Ukraine, life Can Only Be Monolingual ( Original Dutch Version, Hungarian Version ) The European integration of Ukraine is heading for a dead end with a new language law. Minority languages are banned from public life. |
|
15-02-2021 Opinion Magyar Nemzet Netherlands Take your Own values Seriously (Original Hungarian Version, Dutch Version ) European core values such as democracy, the rule of law, human rights including the rights of minorities and freedom of the press form a strategic importance for security, peace and prosperity in the European Union but also outside it, therefore the Dutch government should stand up for these core values, not because of a vague kind of idealism, but out of strategic importance. |
|
29-09-2020 Opinion Magyar Nemzet Hungary. What the President of Momentum has done is Unethical and Irresponsible. ( Dutch Version, Original Hungarian Version, Romanian Version ) |
|
13-09-2020 Erdely.ma My fight for the Romanian Rule of Law (Hungarian Only )( Local Mirror) |
|
12-09-2020 PRESS RELEASE Fight For the Romanian Rule of Law The appeal is scheduled for 15 September in Marosvásárhely (Romanian: Tirgu Mures) This case was the spearhead of the report Treason to law, which initiated the vote No ( stemtegen.eu) campaign against the association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. |
|
Press release 05-03-2020 Without Fundamental Rights No democratic Rule of Law (Dutch Only ) In an open letter, the European Language Rights Foundation has asked the Minister of Justice to refrain from abandoning the current quality requirements for registered interpreters.
|
|
12-11-2022 Why are Bilingual Sign disappearing in Romania ? As a candidate member for Schengen Romania should comply with European Standards for Human Rights as laid down in Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. |
|
1-12-2022 The foundation sent a shadow report to the Council of Europe. on the compliancy of the framework convention of national minorities regarding the Hungarian language during 2012-2022 in Romania. A copy of this report has been sent to the NATO, Venice Comite, the OSCE and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs |