The past two years have seen mounting challenges to national minority rights in Europe. Escalating geopolitical tensions and the decline of multilateralism have created fertile ground for the instrumentalisation of inter-ethnic relations and further weaponisation of minority rights. Hostility towards national minorities, the extension of preferential treatment to certain minorities to the detriment of the protection for all, continued exclusion of Roma and Travellers, as well as decreasing financial resources and lack of reliable data are the most concerning trends in today’s Europe.
These are among the key messages of the biennial activity report by the Council of Europe expert body, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, that was published today.
Efforts by some countries to protect minority languages and cultures praised
On a positive note, the advisory committee greatly values the continued commitment to the protection of national minority rights demonstrated by states parties, their engagement in the monitoring process under the framework convention and the efforts undertaken to give effect to its principles. Many countries have taken measures to strengthen legal and policy frameworks, support minority languages and cultures, promote participation of and maintain constructive dialogue with minority representatives. Such efforts can inspire further progress across in other states parties to the convention; they demonstrate that even in a challenging environment progress is possible when there is sustained political commitment and genuine engagement by all stakeholders.
Polarising rhetoric about minority groups an increasing feature of European life
Despite the efforts to promote respect for diversity, people who affiliate with national minorities have been experiencing increasing hostility throughout Europe, including from political figures using polarising rhetoric and hate groups. Particularly worrying tendencies are the persistence of old and appearance of new hierarchies among national minorities, the justification of exclusionary narratives, and the emergence of preferential treatment for certain minorities based on bilateral agreements, rather than on the protection of all national minorities through multilateral human-rights mechanisms. This trend risks normalising hostility towards ethnic, linguistic and religious groups, including those that don’t have “kin states”, such as Roma and Travellers, as well as further deepening divisions within society and fuelling tensions between states.
The erosion of democratic institutions and safeguards, as well as the shrinking space for civil society contribute to an environment in which minority rights are increasingly contested, securitised or deprioritised. Individuals affiliating with national minorities are ever more reluctant to freely self-identify as such and fully participate in social, economic and political life. Attempts to define democracy by the will of the majority alone, or to depict the protection of the rights of individuals affiliating with national minorities as a privilege, mis- and disinformation campaigns targeting minorities – all this fundamentally weakens the democratic fabric of society.
Roma and Travellers, the report says, continue to be discriminated against and stigmatised, and to encounter barriers to education, employment, housing and health, as well as to participation in public life.
Stable financing and reliable data needed for tackling discrimination to strengthen democracy
Addressing these complex challenges requires sustained and sufficient funding. Yet, securing such resources is becoming increasingly difficult in the situation of the growing international instability and ongoing wars, with resources being reallocated towards defence, security and emergency responses. Economic pressures and austerity measures have exacerbated the situation. In parallel to wide-spread budgetary freezes and public funding reductions, a tendency to rely predominantly on project funding remains. Efforts to counter discrimination must be supported by the allocation of adequate, stable and predictable financial resources, moving beyond short-term and project-based approaches towards long-term, structural solutions.
The availability of reliable data is essential to assess specific needs and interests of people affiliating with national minorities, formulate policies and evaluate their impact. However, as traditional censuses become increasingly rare and are largely replaced by register-based ones, comprehensive data on ethnic, linguistic and religious affiliations, as well as on dynamics within minorities is lacking. Efforts should be made to address this situation.
The advisory committee concludes that the protection of the rights of individuals affiliating with national minorities remains an essential component of democratic security and inclusive and cohesive societies, and should be regarded as a key element of broader efforts to strengthen democracy in Europe, including within the framework of the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe initiative.
Learn more about the Council of Europe’s work for minority inclusion
