Ukraine's parliament publishes bill on minority-language education — may unblock EU talks

Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has officially published a new bill guaranteeing the right to education in the languages of national minorities. The draft law aims to resolve a long-running dispute that has been holding back Ukraine's progress toward European Union membership.

Hungary's veto

For several years, Hungary has blocked progress on Ukraine's EU accession negotiations, citing demands to secure educational rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, particularly in the Zakarpattia region. Budapest has argued that Ukraine's education legislation restricts instruction in minority languages, and has used its veto power at the EU level to prevent the formal negotiation process from advancing.

What the bill contains

The published document guarantees education in minority languages, which could form the basis for resolving the disagreement between Kyiv and Budapest. If the bill is adopted and satisfies Hungary's demands, it could theoretically remove the main obstacle currently blocking the advancement of Ukraine's EU accession process.

It is not yet known when the bill will be considered by parliament or what Hungary's official response to the proposed regulation will be.