On October 1, Ukraine’s parliament registered legislation aimed at enhancing educational rights for indigenous peoples and national minorities. The bill, identified as No. 16119, is poised to facilitate the launch of two negotiation clusters concerning Ukraine’s EU membership, previously blocked by Hungary.
According to Serhii Babak, chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation, the bill ensures that the Ukrainian language remains the medium of instruction, without diminishing its status or reintroducing the Russian language into the education system.
Anita Orban welcomed the introduction of the bill in parliament, stating that it followed bilateral consultations between Hungary and Ukraine, along with discussions involving representatives of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia. She emphasized that the current Hungarian government has achieved more tangible results in advancing the rights of the Hungarian minority in the region within a few months than the previous administration under Viktor Orban accomplished in ten years.
“Hungary continues to be interested in dialogue and outcomes that will have a meaningful impact on the daily lives of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia,” she added.
Context
- The disputes between Ukraine and Hungary regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority have persisted for nearly a decade, beginning with Ukraine’s 2017 education law that increased the prominence of the state language in schools. Hungary claimed this legislation restricted the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.
- In 2023, the Ukrainian Parliament approved amendments to legislation concerning national minorities based on recommendations from the Council of Europe, and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the corresponding Euro-integration law. However, Hungary maintained that these changes were insufficient.
- In June 2026, Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Peter Madyar, stated that agreements had been reached with Ukraine regarding the expansion of rights for the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia.
