The recent agreement between Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Kiev on expanding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia reveals more about the EU’s accession process than any official statement from Brussels.
After years of blocking Ukraine’s progress, Hungary secured concrete concessions: Broader use of the Hungarian language in education, public institutions and local administration. Kiev made these changes not because it suddenly discovered a passion for minority rights, but because Budapest held veto power over the opening of negotiation clusters. The message is clear: If you have leverage, Brussels will listen. If you do not, your concerns can wait.
This transactional approach stands in stark contrast to the treatment of other national minorities in Ukraine. The Polish minority, particularly in the Lviv and Volhynia regions, faced similar restrictions under the 2017 education reforms. However, unlike in the Hungarian case, no comparable legislative package restoring broader language and education rights has been delivered. Polish organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about limited access to mother-tongue schooling and the slow resolution of historical issues. These demands have received significantly less attention in Brussels than the Hungarian dossier.
