TAALRJOCHTEN IN EUROPA

In Europe the rights of the autonomous languages minorities have been very clearly formulated, through several European and bilateral treaties. In fact most of these language minorities are not a minority in general, but are a minority in a specific administrative region. The Hungarian language is a minority language that is only spoken by 10 % of Slovakia’s native population. However the Slovakian language  is an absolute minority language in the European union,  where it is spoken by less then 1% of the population.  The Netherlands has it’s own minority languages the Frisian languages , just as England has the Welsh minority language.

The autonomous Hungarian speaking European citizens are entitled to the following language rights  in Romania and Slovakia:

1. The Hungarian language is an official language in a region where it has been spoken by at least 20 % of it’s population.

2. You have the right to use your mother language and succeed with it

3. You can use your mother language in court

4. You can never suffer discrimination for using your mother language and your identity

5. It is an individual choice to belong to a minority.

6. The use of the mother language can never be subject to punishment. It can never be forbidden

7. You are entitled for mother language media services

8. You have the right to use your mother language in public health facilities

9. You have the rights to read your countries main laws in your mother language, You can use your language in civil law.

10. An equal representation of the regional language is compulsory.

These rights are based  on  the following treaties, amongst others:

Treaty between Hungary Slovakia/Romania, European Human rights, Acquis Communautaire, Treaty of  Strasbourg, European Charta of regional languages ,Treaty of Lissabon, Constitution of  Slovakia, Slovakia, law 184 concerning minority languages, The Romanian constitution, the Romanian law on public administration of 2001.

 

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