Interparliamentary Conference

On Cultural Heritage and the Identity of Traditional National Minorities

National Assembly, Budapest, 5 December 2024

Speech by Theodoros Rousopoulos

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

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Mr Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly,

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I will start my speech by telling you a story of a woman whom I am sure you have heard her name but maybe not her real life which I believe is one of the most emotional examples I could use to enter in the case of those who are living or dying as minorities in a society.

 The name of the woman is Pocahontas and her life represents a tragic struggle for belonging. This is not Disney, this is real life and her story is full of sorrow.

Pocahontas was born around 1596 as the daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy. She was a bridge between two worlds—the indigenous community of her birth and the English settlers who disrupted it. Known for her legendary act of saving Captain John Smith, she became a symbol of peace-making, but her life was marked by deep personal sacrifices and cultural alienation.

In 1613, Pocahontas was kidnapped by the English during a conflict with the Powhatan people. While in captivity, she converted to Christianity, took the name Rebecca, and married an Englishman, John Rolfe. This union was celebrated as a step toward assimilation and peace, but it came at a great cost. To her people, she became a symbol of betrayal, while the English treated her as an exotic curiosity rather than as an equal. Her efforts to bridge the cultural divide left her isolated belonging fully to neither community.

In 1616, Pocahontas was taken to England as a living representation of the “civilizing” mission of colonization. Paraded before English society, she was presented as evidence of the success of assimilation. However, the harsh climate, unfamiliar environment, and emotional toll of her alienation weakened her health. In 1617, at just 21 years old, she died of illness, likely smallpox or pneumonia, far from her homeland and people.

Pocahontas’ story is a tragic reflection of the cost of living between two hostile worlds. Her life, marked by cultural displacement and unfulfilled belonging, is a reminder of the pain endured by those caught in the margins of history. Her legacy, both romanticized and misunderstood, serves as a cautionary tale about the human cost of assimilation and the enduring struggle for identity and acceptance.

European history shows that the protection of minorities is of utmost importance and can contribute to Europe becoming a home for all.

This phrase is in the first paragraph of the report on “The situation and rights of national minorities in Europe”. Rapporteur for this report -10 years ago- was the then member of our Assembly Ambassador Kalmar, whom with real pleasure I see now chairing this session. This same report had foreseen that: “Manifestations of extreme nationalism, racism, xenophobia and intolerance have not disappeared; on the contrary, they appear to be on the rise. The Parliamentary Assembly expresses concern about the situation and rights of national minorities.

Following this report, the Assembly called for “unity through diversity” within and between countries, stressing and I quote, that: “minority protection is a means of conflict prevention”.

Let me make it more personal: My PHD is about ethnic minorities. I wrote for the Greeks in Venice in the 17^th Century and I recall out of my historical and anthropological studies that if you want to protect a minority you firstly have to protect its language.

Languages are not only a means of communication but also tools for understanding the world. They express unique ways of thinking, philosophy and perception of life. When a language disappears, a unique way of seeing reality is lost. Preserving linguistic diversity helps to foster cultural creativity, innovation and knowledge.

The protection of national minorities and their languages is not only a matter of justice but also an imperative for the preservation of our cultural identity and social cohesion. In an increasingly multicultural world, safeguarding diversity is the foundation for a peaceful and just future.

The Council of Europe Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, initiated by a 1981 Parliamentary Assembly recommendation and ratified by Hungary in 1995, protects over 80 languages in Europe. This unique convention promotes linguistic diversity, fostering acceptance and respect for differences.

The Charter, guided by the Committee of Experts, urges states to actively support minority languages, adapting to modern challenges like digitalization, social media, and AI. Its positive impact includes language policies and legal frameworks.

The Parliamentary Assembly monitors the Charter, with biannual reports from the Secretary General ensuring continued political engagement and progress.

The rights of persons belonging to national minorities form an integral part of the human rights framework, as stated explicitly by the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, one of the highest-level standards for the protection of national minorities providing a widely recognised normative scheme.

This Convention was adopted by the Council of Europe exactly thirty years ago, in November 1994. At its opening for signature in February 1995, Hungary was among the first countries to sign it.

Now that it has been ratified by 38 member States, the principles enshrined in this treaty continue to greatly inspire our work in these areas.

The signatories to the Convention:

Commit to protecting national minorities;

Recognize that such protection ensures stability, democratic security, and peace in Europe;

Emphasize that a pluralistic, democratic society must respect and support the identity of national minorities;

Advocate for tolerance and dialogue, fostering cultural diversity as a societal enrichment.

As you see, the notions of culture and of identity, which are key to the title of today’s conference, are among the main pillars of the Framework Convention. Indeed, belonging to a national minority is a multifaceted experience that includes various dimensions and is a matter, among other things, of identity and culture.

I commend the Hungarian presidency of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers for prioritizing the protection of national minorities during its term (May-November 2021). Through numerous conferences, it adopted the Strasbourg Declaration, emphasizing further action, including boosting political participation of minority youth.

The Parliamentary Assembly consistently champions minority rights as integral to the Council of Europe’s human rights framework, notably the European Convention on Human Rights and Protocol 12. Resolution 2368 (2021), based on Ms. Elvira Kovács’ excellent report on "Preserving National Minorities in Europe," strongly called for signing, ratifying, and effectively implementing the Framework Convention. I look forward to your address, dear Elvira.

Not only did the Framework Convention play a fundamental role in enhancing the protection of persons belonging to national minorities and promoting their rights, but it also created a multilateral system that provides States with expertise and early warnings of possible violations of such rights.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As we celebrate this year the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, for me it is a time to critically assess our achievements, but also to take a new step for an ambitious agenda, in line with the decisions taken at our 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Reykjavik last year.

I often hear that countries feel what is called the “monitoring and reporting fatigue”.

That the monitoring bodies expect too much from member States, in a context marred by a socio-economic crisis.

I think that it is precisely because our nations are not perfect, that they need the European ideal and ideas, as well as their constructive criticism, today more than ever.

Participating in the Council of Europe is not like joining a club of perfect democracies once and for all. Quite the contrary! It is through a constructive dialogue with the experts from our monitoring bodies, with the authorities of the member States and with the representatives of minorities, that we can achieve what is best for our citizens.

We should in this spirit never forget that Europe is an ideal towards which we must strive, a philosophical construction resulting from the conscious and systematic choice of dialogue over conflict, underpinned by the conviction of the equal dignity of every human being.

In our diverse continent, embracing cultural heritage is vital for equality, inclusion, and unity in diversity. Culture, though not always linked to the Council of Europe's core mission, is key to promoting shared values and democracy.

The upcoming 70th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention will highlight this with a seminar under the theme: "No democracy →no culture → no democracy," emphasizing culture's role in democratic vitality.

As the Hungarian Act on Minorities states “Rights are not gifts or privileges but stem from the right to be different, based on freedom and peace.”

Thank you.