Ukraine passes minority rights law, paving way for breakthrough in EU accession talks

Ukraine’s parliament passed a minority rights law, easing a years-long dispute with Hungary. Diplomats expect Budapest to approve two more EU accession clusters on Tuesday, and Prime Minister Péter Magyar could meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Thursday. Ukraine’s parliament passed a law strengthening minority rights on Monday, easing years of tensions with Hungary and paving the way for Kyiv to advance its EU accession talks. The legislation, approved by 266 of the 450 deputies in the Verkhovna Rada, strengthens protections for the use of minority languages in schools and at cultural events. The rights of the roughly 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region have strained relations between Budapest and Kyiv for years. The previous Hungarian government, led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, had blocked progress in Ukraine’s EU accession talks since 2023 over the dispute. In June, new Prime Minister Péter Magyar agreed an 11-point action plan with Ukraine and lifted Hungary’s veto on opening the first two negotiating clusters. However, Budapest made further progress conditional on Kyiv formally adopting the minority rights legislation. Following Monday’s vote, diplomats expect Hungary to approve the opening of two additional clusters, covering the internal market and competitiveness, at an intergovernmental conference on Tuesday. The breakthrough could also pave the way for the first bilateral meeting between Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Magyar said over the weekend that the two leaders could meet at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday. An earlier meeting had been put on hold after Magyar made the talks conditional on progress over minority rights. Relations between Hungary and Ukraine deteriorated sharply under Orbán, whose government repeatedly clashed with Kyiv and obstructed its EU membership bid. Orbán also ran a fiercely anti-Ukraine election campaign, portraying Kyiv as a threat to European security. After his landslide election victory in April, Magyar, who took office in May, promised a more pragmatic approach towards Ukraine. But tensions resurfaced in September when he clashed with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha over Hungary’s participation in Zelenskyy’s Carpathian summit, aimed at boosting development in the region. Magyar criticised Ukraine for listing Hungary as a participant without his approval, while Sybiha accused him of echoing Orbán’s rhetoric.