Loránt Vincze leads the EP Minority Intergroup
The Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages of the European Parliament (IG10-25) was re-established in Brussels on 15 January. Loránt Vincze, President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) and a member of the Hungarian minority in Romania, was elected chair. The Intergroup aims to protect and support Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity.
The Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages of the European Parliament (IG10-25) was re-established in Brussels on 15 January, as reported by the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN). FUEN President Loránt Vincze of the Hungarian minority in Romania (RMDSZ, European People's Party) was elected chair of the Intergroup. He had already served as co-chairman for nine terms, together with François Alfonsi (Femu a Corsica, France; Greens/EFA) and Kinga Gál (Fidesz, Hungary), who, like Vincze, comes from the Hungarian minority in Transylvania (Romania).
The following were elected as vice-chairs: Lukasz Kohut, a Silesian regionalist from Poland (European People's Party), Annamária Vicsek from the Hungarian minority in Serbia (she was elected on the list of the Hungarian Fidesz party and belongs to the Patriots for Europe faction), Anna-Maja Henriksson from the Swedish minority in Finland (Swedish People's Party, Renew Europe faction) and Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Catalan from the Valencian Community in Spain (Compromís party, Greens/EFA group).
"The European dialogue within the Intergroup has given us valuable experience and strengthened our arguments. It is in the common interest of minorities that Europe pays attention to autochthonous minorities, grants them legal protection and supports them. We will continue to work towards this," emphasised Loránt Vincze on his election. "Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity is a common value that must be protected. It is high time that the European Commission recognised this," he added.
Intergroups provide a forum for an informal exchange of views on specific topics between different political groups and facilitate contact between members of parliament and civil society. Each intergroup consists of members from at least three different political groups. There are currently 28 intergroups.
Only time will tell how fruitful the work of the intergroup can be. In view of the presence of parties from the far right to the extreme right in the European Parliament and in the Intergroup, concerns were raised even before its establishment that the work of the Intergroup could be blocked as a result.
This article gives the views of the author and does not represent the position of the European Association of Daily Newspapers in Minority and Regional Languages (MIDAS) or Eurac Research.
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