L-R: Olivia Schubert and Loránt Vincze
The largest annual gathering of European nationalities, the Congress of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) took place from October 23 to 26 in the South Tyrolean city of Bolzano (Bozen in German, Bulsan in Ladin). During the Assembly, Olivia Schubert was elected as the new FUEN President after MEP Loránt Vincze concluded his third mandate.
Loránt Vincze, the outgoing President, who has headed FUEN since 2016, congratulated Olivia Schubert on her new role.
FUEN has a new President! During today’s Assembly of Delegates, Olivia Schubert was elected as the new FUEN President! In the photo, she is congratulated by Loránt Vincze, the outgoing President. Congratulations, Olivia – and best wishes for the new term!”
announced FUEN on their Facebook page.
The new president, who is of German descent, grew up in the multi-ethnic environment of southern Hungary, where the peaceful coexistence of different communities was a defining experience for her. Olivia Schubert studied German language and literature, history, and political science at the University of Cologne, specializing in minority rights. She has dedicated her career to minority issues and has held numerous leadership positions in ethnic public life and education over the past 25 years. She has built up a wide network of international contacts and has worked closely with the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the UN and the institutions of the European Union.
Olivia Schubert has also been working closely with the Federal Union of European Nationalities (serving as FUEN Vice-President since 2022) and its member organizations for many years. She is convinced that minorities are not only guardians of their languages, traditions, and cultures, but also form bridges between nations, thereby playing a decisive role in strengthening peace, democracy, and cohesion in Europe.
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FUEN must remain a strong and reliable voice in the future – clearly visible to European institutions, national governments, and the public. Together with our member organizations, I would like to further strengthen our role as a bridge builder and role model in the protection of European minorities, even in these times of crisis,”
emphasized Olivia Schubert.
The organization elected the candidate of the Hungarian Alliance in Slovakia, Balázs Tárnok, a lawyer as its vice president.
Fact
For 75 years, FUEN has been the most important representative of indigenous national minorities in Europe. The organization works for a democratic, diverse, and non-discriminatory Europe in which minorities can participate in public life as equals. MEP Loránt Vincze has served as President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) since 2016. He was re-elected for a third and final term in 2022, as per FUEN’s statutes, which limit presidium members to three terms.
One of his most important accomplishments during his presidency was the Minority SafePack Initiative (MSPI). This European Citizens’ Initiative aimed to enhance the protection of national and linguistic minorities within the EU. The package included support for minority languages, the promotion of cultural autonomy, and the strengthening of educational rights. Under his leadership, FUEN coordinated the initiative, which garnered over 1.1 million validated signatures across 11 EU member states. It also received significant support in several Central and Eastern European countries, including Hungary and Romania. Despite the EC’s refusal to propose legal acts based on the initiative and the European Court of Justice’s dismissal of the appeal in June 2025, MEP Loránt Vincze has continued to advocate for minority rights.
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Via Idu.hu; Featured photo: Facebook/FUEN
The post Hungary’s German Minority Secures Leading Post in European Organization appeared first on Hungary Today.
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