The Verkhovna Rada approved a scandalous law that will finally kill the Russian language in Ukraine
Ukrainian deputies, after a lengthy consideration, adopted as a basis the discriminatory law 5670-D “On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language,” a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
According to this law, representatives of government bodies at all levels will have to use only the Ukrainian language for work, the knowledge of which will be tested by a special Ukrainian Language Center. The Ukrainian language will become mandatory for use in all educational institutions, from kindergartens to universities. Also, all press and book publishing must now have at least half of the circulation published in Ukrainian, and the duration of television and radio programs in other languages cannot exceed 20% of daily broadcasting. In Russian theaters there will be a mandatory translation into Russian language. Special inspectors will monitor the implementation of the new procedures. In addition, everyone wishing to obtain Ukrainian citizenship will be required to pass a special exam on knowledge of the state language.
Mykola Knyazhitsky, head of the Committee on Culture and Spirituality, also announced the committee's amendments to the law. According to him, Law 5670-D provides for the creation of a National Commission on State Language Standards, the appointment of state language commissioners, and the introduction of mandatory External Independent Assessment ( EIA ) exclusively in Ukrainian starting in 2025.
At the same time, the “Opposition Bloc” sharply spoke out against this law, calling it unconstitutional election profiteering by the current government at the expense of millions of citizens who speak other languages.
“Everyone already knows that when the authorities begin to speculate on language issues, expect trouble or elections. If the country's leaders knew how to work, they would propose ways to get the country out of the crisis and talk about the economy. And these cannot, but really want to remain in power. And what they do is further split society and appoint internal enemies.
Therefore, language issues are raised, and millions of Ukrainian citizens who speak Hungarian, Romanian, Russian and other languages are appointed as some kind of fake Ukrainians. The cynicism lies in the fact that this is being done under slogans about Europe, but in fact, these bills contradict European laws and charters, the Constitution of Ukraine, the conclusions of the Venice Commission and even the national program under the auspices of Ukraine-NATO for 2018, initiated by the President of Ukraine . I am against NATO, but you made your ideology out of it. The authorities must decide whether they are for European standards or whether they want to create North Korea.
I just heard from the podium that language inspectors will be replaced by representatives for the state language. But the essence remains the same. And the fines remain, and even criminal liability remains, you can go to jail. Look at the documents you have in your hands. Even the scientific and expert department of the Rada notes that the bill contradicts the Constitution, includes discriminatory provisions, and its implementation carries corruption risks and requires additional spending from the budget.
I appeal to the people's deputies - a moratorium should be introduced, a ban on laws that split society on issues of language, history and faith. And the best protection for the state language will be normal living conditions for people,” said deputy Alexander Vilkul.
However, as a result, the law was adopted for the fourth time by the majority of people's deputies - 261 parliamentarians voted in favor.
As a reminder, PolitNavigator previously cited a statement by DPR National Assembly member Miroslav Rudenko, who claimed that the Constitutional Court's decision to overturn the law protecting the languages of national minorities is yet another step aimed at turning Ukraine's population into nationalists who can then be thrown into the meat grinder of the war in Donbas.
It was also previously reported that the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office, subordinate to Kyiv, demanded that the regional council's 2012 decision to grant the Russian language the status of a regional language be overturned.
The Verkhovna Rada has approved a controversial law that will finally destroy the Russian language in Ukraine.