Croatia’s accession to the EU is also important from the point of view of the minorities
The Bureau of the European People’s Party held a meeting in Zagreb on the 3rd and 4th of March, 2011 related to the accession of Croatia to the European Union. Joseph Daul, President of the EPP Group and Viviane Reding, vice-president of the European Commission also attended the meeting and both acknowledged the fact that Croatia has fulfilled most of the adherence criteria.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor thanked the EP for its support and stated that Croatia’s most important task is to finalize the European integration process. She also stressed that everyone is working on closing the still open chapters in the shortest possible time. The country is on the right path to close negotiations during the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, but still has to face serious issues such as combating corruption and organized crime, as well as strengthening the public administration and justice reforms.
DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor considers Croatia’s accession to the EU important from the point of view of the European enlargement, as well as from the point of view of the national minorities of Europe. He believes that in this respect, Croatia can set an example for many member states.
Croatia provides for a high level protection of human and minority rights. The constitution of the country regards national minorities as state-factors and guarantees bilingualism, protection of national identity and cultural autonomy in several legislative acts.
The Hungarian community in Croatia has shrunk, due to the recent war in the region, to the quarter of its initial population during the last one hundred years. While there were more than 70000 Hungarians living in Croatia in 1920, their number did not even reach 17000 at the last census.
- Such a dramatic decrease in numbers cannot be seen in any region that has been detached from Hungary in 1920. Through their accession to the EU, we can aid them in their daily struggles – said MEP Csaba Sógor.
On the second day of the meeting, MEPs Csaba Sógor and Gyula Winkler met with the President of the Democratic Community of Hungarians from Croatia (HMDK), Sándor Jakab, the co-president of the National Coordination of Hungarian Minority Representatives from Croatia, Péter Szekeres and secretary of HMDK, Krisztián Pálinkás. The politicians informed each other about the situation of the Hungarian minority in Romania and Croatia, while the MEPs presented their activity in Brussels and the new possibilities offered by the European Citizen’s Initiative.
The Hungarian representatives from Croatia pointed out the flaws in the Croatian legislation referring to minorities: while the legal environment is friendly towards them, the law cannot always be enforced due to the lack of the possibility of sanctions.
Both parties expressed their hope that Croatia will soon adhere to the European Union and that the members of the Hungarian community in Croatia will become European citizens.
DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor considers Croatia’s accession to the EU important from the point of view of the European enlargement, as well as from the point of view of the national minorities of Europe. He believes that in this respect, Croatia can set an example for many member states.
Croatia provides for a high level protection of human and minority rights. The constitution of the country regards national minorities as state-factors and guarantees bilingualism, protection of national identity and cultural autonomy in several legislative acts.
The Hungarian community in Croatia has shrunk, due to the recent war in the region, to the quarter of its initial population during the last one hundred years. While there were more than 70000 Hungarians living in Croatia in 1920, their number did not even reach 17000 at the last census.
- Such a dramatic decrease in numbers cannot be seen in any region that has been detached from Hungary in 1920. Through their accession to the EU, we can aid them in their daily struggles – said MEP Csaba Sógor.
On the second day of the meeting, MEPs Csaba Sógor and Gyula Winkler met with the President of the Democratic Community of Hungarians from Croatia (HMDK), Sándor Jakab, the co-president of the National Coordination of Hungarian Minority Representatives from Croatia, Péter Szekeres and secretary of HMDK, Krisztián Pálinkás. The politicians informed each other about the situation of the Hungarian minority in Romania and Croatia, while the MEPs presented their activity in Brussels and the new possibilities offered by the European Citizen’s Initiative.
The Hungarian representatives from Croatia pointed out the flaws in the Croatian legislation referring to minorities: while the legal environment is friendly towards them, the law cannot always be enforced due to the lack of the possibility of sanctions.
Both parties expressed their hope that Croatia will soon adhere to the European Union and that the members of the Hungarian community in Croatia will become European citizens.
