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The European Citizens’ Minority SafePack initiative, promoted by UDMR (as stated by Vincze Lorant, UDMR MEP and leader of FUEN) Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), it is a controversial issue, with Romanian officials speaking out against it in the past. Indeed, Romania and Slovakia attacked the old initiative in the General Court of the EU, but the European forum ruled in favor of the initiators, leading to the resumption of their efforts and a proposal to strengthen the legislation at the EU level. for minorities. in other words, Brussels can ask states to change national laws on minorities (cultural issues, language, access to the media).
What does the initiative promoted by UDMR through FUEN contribute?
The first thing that the authors of the initiative demand is the strengthening of linguistic and cultural protection through the use of regional and minority languages in public administration, public services, education, culture, the judiciary, the media, health, trade and protection. consumers. In short, the FUEN authors would like the EU to guide Member States in strengthening protection measures through an “integrated set of policy measures”.
By the way, in Romania, by the Local Administration Law, it is established that in local administrative units where the number of citizens of some minorities represents at least 20%, the respective language is used in the administration and in the judicial system. Currently, political sources told “Adevărul” that the UDMR stated that it wants to discuss the reduction of the threshold to 10% for the use of a language in the local administration, if PNL and USR-PLUS discuss the return to the election of mayors in two rounds.
The citizens’ initiative also calls for a European Center for Linguistic Diversity, as well as funding for organizations to promote cultural and linguistic diversity. This center could also “help” Member State authorities to “prepare policies and measures at national, regional or local level”. In addition, the authors of the initiative demand that money destined for national and linguistic minorities can pass through the European Social Fund.
Another aspect is the legislative intervention to allow access to channels in the parent countries or to support the press of a certain minority language, so that it has access to correct information. Last but not least, through the measures requested, the contestants of the initiative affirm that the road is open to claims that lead to regional autonomy.
In the vote in the European Parliament a few days ago, 524 votes were in favor, 67 against and 103 abstentions, which means that the initiative goes to the table of the European Commission, which decides what actions to initiate from the citizens’ initiative European.
„By ”the citizen initiative coordinated by UDMR member Vincze Lorant voted: Winker (UDMR), Vincze Lorant (UDMR), Vlad Botos (USR-PLUS), Dacian Ciolos (USR-PLUS), Dragos Pislaru (USR-PLUS), Nicu Stefanita (USR- PLUS), Ramona Strugariu (USR-PLUS), Dragoş Tudorache (USR-PLUS) and Corina Creţu (Pro Romania). Among the Romanian MPs, They voted “against” only Traian Băsescu, Eugen Tomac and Marian-Jean Marinescu.
They chose to abstain liberals Vasile Blaga, Rareş Bogdan, Daniel Buda, Cristian Buşoi, Gheorghe Falcă, Mircea Hava, Dan Motreanu, Siegfried Mureşan and Vlad Nistor, but also various members of the PSD (Carmen Avram, Dragoş Benea, Maria Grapini, Claudiu Manda, Victor Negrescu, Dan Nica and Mihai Tudose), as well as Cristian Ghinea (USR-PLUS). Paradoxically, MEPs like Daniel Buda and Mihai Tudose had spoken out against the initiative.
For example, Buda spoke on the day of the vote and said that minority law is a matter for the internal decisions of each state: “The SafePack initiative of European citizen minorities can be a tool to help protect the rights of minorities. but any Political action, especially at the European level, must have a well-founded legal basis. According to the European Union treaties, the protection of persons belonging to national minorities is part of the political and constitutional structure of each State, that it has the obligation to adopt national legislation in this regard. Therefore, there is no legal basis in the treaties that allows the European Commission to adopt normative acts that may have as their object the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. I urge all relevant actors to follow good examples, of good practices in Romania, where 17 national minorities have legal representation al in Parliament under special conditions, without meeting the electoral threshold ”, was the intervention of Buda. On the other hand, Tudose abstained, although in a November speech he openly stated that Minority SafePack “will stimulate ethnic separatism in Europe.”
The arguments of Romanian MEPs on the vote
In a post on his Facebook page, a few hours after the vote, Eugen Tomac explained: “Although in Romania national minorities enjoy all rights, we have a German president and the UDMR is part of the government in most governments. In recent years. For 30 years, the leaders of the Hungarian community have been calling for the European Union to legislate on national minorities. This under the conditions in which, according to the treaties, it is the exclusive competence of the Member States (.. .) As long as the UDMR openly requests autonomy based on ethnic criteria, I consider that this precedent remains extremely sensitive for Romania. Therefore, I have voted against it “, explains Eugen Tomac.
Contacted by “Adevărul” to give more details, Tomac specified that he was at an airport, near boarding, and that he would return. Although I asked from a point of view, the MEP did not answer the calls.
Instead, MEP Ramona Strugariu (USR-PLUS / Renew Group) clarified her position, who voted “in favor” and stated from the beginning that “the final decision is at the discretion of the European Commission.” It is a very good text. It reflects reality and was agreed upon by various groups ”, added the MEP. Asked if the purpose of the initiative would lead to the opening of controversial issues such as autonomy, Strugariu stressed: “The path of autonomy and separatism is not open. It is an exaggerated speech. It is not necessary. It is clear throughout the initiative, although I have some doubts about the collection of signatures, but that is another story. The idea is not to propose new legislative packages, but to strengthen rights and freedoms now. “Furthermore, Ramona Strugariu pointed out that some of the EU countries do not have legislation that protects minorities too much and recognized that Romania has a part of legislation dedicated to minorities to be appreciated.
Another MEP who voted for Nicu Ştefănuţă (USR-PLUS) detailed why he supported the resolution. “In the first place, we must delimit the true from the false presented in the country. Minority Safe Pack is a resolution of the European Parliament that refers to this citizens’ initiative. It is not a vote on that initiative, but a resolution that refers to it. Two, in no way, it is not even mentioned in the 21 articles, no autonomy, no ethnic minorities. It is about European minorities, representing approximately 10% of the entire European population, and the exchange of good practices between Member States on their treatment, their rights, their freedoms. For us, it was a modern, European and decisive step to vote in favor of this resolution. I think it’s time to get over the angst of the 90s with the Hungarians who steal our country and steal our Transylvania. We have many minorities in this country. This country is built with a great amount of cultural contributions from many parts. We not only have Hungarians, we also have Tatars, Ukrainians, Lipovans, Russians, Jews, Armenians, and much more. All of these minorities must have a set of protected rights, which are already largely protected. They are champions in many ways. For example, political representation, where Romania is well positioned. And then it would seem to me a step of European normality, of modernity, to support a text, which in the end was negotiated in blood in the European Parliament ”.
In turn, liberal Daniel Buda explained why he abstained. “If I had given a negative vote, it would have meant ignoring the signatures of more than a million people. It is a form of respect. Furthermore, it is the decision of the EU Court. In the end, it is not the Parliament, but the European Commission the one that decides whether to go ahead. It decides whether the expansion of the rights package is necessary. And without my vote and that of my NLP colleagues, the initiative would have passed easily, “said Daniel Buda. Buda also pointed out that the application of provisions such as those of the initiative would not affect the situation in Romania, since our country is among the states considered a model of respect for minorities.
Among the elected members of the Group of European Socialists, “Adevărul” tried to find out why Corina Cretu voted “in favor”, and Social Democrats such as Mihai Tudose (opponent of the initiative) and Victor Negrescu abstained. Negrescu said that only PSD group leaders Dan Nica and Mihai Tudose can be asked about the vote.
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