The new Law on Education contradicts the European Charter for Regional Languages, – Moskal

The new Law on Education adopted by the majority of the Verkhovna Rada does not comply with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which Ukraine ratified in 2003, the Law "On National Minorities in Ukraine" and international treaties concluded by Ukraine with the neighboring countries. So believes the head of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration Hennadiy Moskal.

– Recall that Article 6 of the Law "On National Minorities in Ukraine" states: "The state guarantees all national minorities the right to national and cultural autonomy: use of and education in their native language or studying their native language in state institutions or through national-cultural societies, development of national cultural traditions, use of national symbols, celebration of national holidays…", – H. Moskal emphasizes. – Ukraine has ratified a number of international legal acts concerning the languages ​​of national minorities.

A number of provisions of the adopted law contradict the bilateral treaties of Ukraine with neighboring countries, in particular, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, which provide for Ukraine’s commitment to ensure the language rights of national minorities. According to Article 53 of the Constitution of Ukraine, citizens belonging to national minorities, in accordance with the law, are guaranteed the right to study in their native language.

I especially want to emphasize that the representatives of national minorities, who live in Transcarpathia, are law-abiding citizens of Ukraine and want to speak the state language. In view of this, I appeal to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to veto the adopted law or to return it to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with amendments.

Protecting the Ukrainian language is necessary, but without prejudice to the languages of national minorities. The absolute majority of the deputies, who voted for the new law, are not from multinational regions, therefore they do not understand their specifics. Transcarpathia is a multinational region, the provisions of the European Charter for Regional Languages ​​are applied here to three languages ​​- Romanian, Slovak, and Hungarian. 

Below, you can see how People’s Deputies from Transcarpathia voted for the new Law on Education.
Robert Horvat – "For"
Vasyl Brenzovych – "Against"
Valeriy Patskan – "For"
Valeriy Lunchenko – Did not vote
Viktor Baloha – "Abstained"
Ivan Baloha – "For"
Pavlo Baloha – Absent
Mykhailo Lanyo – Did not vote
Ivan Krulko – "For"
Vasyl Petyovka – "For"

Recall that more than 64 thousand Transcarpathians signed an appeal to the President of Ukraine with the request to prevent the restriction of the rights of national minorities