The Council of Europe welcomes progress made by Austria in protecting and promoting regional or minority languages, while calling for further action in areas including education, public administration and the justice system.
In its latest evaluation report, the Committee of experts of the European Charter for regional or minority languages – the independent committee responsible for monitoring how states implement their commitments under the Charter – notes that Austria has a well-developed system for protecting and promoting minority languages and the authorities and minority-language speakers generally maintain good dialogue.
The charter has been in force in Austria since 2001 and covers six languages: Burgenland Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Romani, Slovak and Slovenian. The committee’s latest evaluation examines how Austria is putting into practice its commitments to protect and promote these languages in areas ranging from education and public administration to the courts, media and cultural life.
Scholastic, media and legal changes praised
Measures taken in recent years have produced positive results. These include support for pre-school education, federal funding to develop bilingualism in public administration, and new educational curricula requiring the languages, cultures and histories of Austria’s six national minorities to be addressed in schools.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the National Minorities Act in 2026, the Austrian Parliament took initiatives to increase the visibility of national minorities and their languages, including an exhibition, events and activities for schools. Burgenland and Carinthia have increased efforts to strengthen the presence of minority languages in education, administration and public life.
The report details encouraging practical examples. In Carinthia, 100 online forms used by local authorities have been translated into Slovenian, while the Chamber of Agriculture has begun providing advisory services in the language. In Burgenland, a care and retirement home that opened in Schandorf/Čemba in 2023 uses Burgenland Croatian and Hungarian. In addition, Carinthia and Burgenland have launched a joint initiative to attract young people to a teaching career in bilingual education.
All six languages are represented in the media, particularly through public broadcaster ORF, as well as through newspapers, online platforms and social media. Cross-border cooperation is also extensive, including educational and cultural projects with neighbouring countries.
Regional variations in minority-language protections persist
However, significant challenges remain.
The committee points to the absence of a structured and proactive approach to minority languages in Styria and, particularly, Vienna. The Komenský school in Vienna, which is a unique institution providing bilingual education in Czech and Slovak from pre-school through secondary education, and a model to which other minority-language speakers in Vienna aspire, continues to face financial difficulties: its long-term future is uncertain. The report therefore calls on the authorities to work on a long-term solution for the Komenský school, in close consultation with the speakers.
Education is affected by shortages of adequately trained bilingual teachers, particularly at pre-school level, and insufficient teaching materials. Despite the progress, media provision remains uneven, while further measures are needed to strengthen the practical use of Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovenian before courts and in public administration.
Next steps to protect regional and minority languages in Austria
The report outlined some priority recommendations for Austria, include the following developing a structured policy for the protection and promotion of all minority languages, especially in Vienna and Styria; ensuring a sufficient number of trained teachers for minority-language education; strengthening the use of Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovenian before state authorities; and promoting awareness throughout Austria of minority languages and cultures as an integral part of the country’s cultural heritage.
