by Davyth Hicks
Yesterday’s Italian revision of the draft Constitution, to be discussed by member states tomorrow and Saturday, has added a clause calling for the respect of ‘minority groups'. Importantly, it has added it in at Part 1, Article 2, making it a core value of the European Union.
The new Article 2 now states: ‘The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of minority groups’.
‘These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and the principle of equality between men and women prevail’.
While the mention of minorities was expected the reference to ‘groups’ may be a concession to the Hungarian initiatives for a recognition of actual ‘collectivities’ or national minorities as a group as opposed to only the rights of individuals belonging to such ‘collectivities’.
Eurolang spoke to MEP Jens Bonde, Presdient of the Europe of Democracies and Diversities European Parliament group (EDD), who has worked for both Germans in Denmark and Danes in Germany. He said that he was ‘very proud’ of the inclusion of minorities. However, he added that he hoped the Constitution was brought to referenda in all countries and that ‘while this may not be good for national minorities as voters it was still good for national minorities as such’.
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