The reform of legislation on the rights of national minorities, together with strengthening the fight against corruption and the regulation of lobbying activities, was one of the conditions proposed by the European Commission for the start of negotiations. Formally, kyiv met the conditions, but Hungary remained extremely dissatisfied with the Ukrainian law on national minorities adopted last year. Budapest demands that the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine be restored to 2015 levels and that Ukrainian Hungarians be granted the right to freely use their native language, as well as political representation at the regional and national levels. In addition to Hungary, other countries may also slow down the process. The document necessary to start negotiations, the so-called negotiating framework, has not yet been agreed and so far only exists in the form of a draft proposed by the European Commission. And this project continues to provoke heated debates in European capitals.
However, the start of negotiations is a rather symbolic step. The European Union, as Politico says, seeks to “strengthen Ukraine’s morale,” but nothing more. Accession negotiations, as the experience of other countries shows, are a very long process. Furthermore, it can be suspended at any time if the European Union decides that Ukraine is behind in reforms. Political leaders in Brussels believe that Ukraine’s accession will not take place before 2030. However, the negotiating framework suggests that not only Ukraine, but also the European Union itself must be prepared for this moment, which will require significant reforms, including in terms of the decision-making mechanism, so that Ukraine and other candidates do not benefit too much. a lot of influence on European institutions. But so far the EU only talks about this reform and it is not really known when it will begin.
