Minorities

Focus on Europe’s minorities, national communities and languages

EFA MEPs support new European Parliament Intergroup

A new group has been set up in the European parliament that will be a focal point for discussion on the issues facing Europe’s minorities, national communities and languages. Europe’s rich linguistic, national and regional diversity is one of its greatest strengths, but significant ch...

North and East Syria/Rojava

11.12.2019

A Regional and Global Litmus Test

This conference will focus on the current situation in North-east Syria/Rojava, and on the implication of the Turkish state in it.

Well deserved prize for human rights defender Ilham Tohti

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

Greens/EFA have supported and do welcome this choice. Ilham Tohti is the paradigmatic non-violent prisoner of conscience who has been jailed for life just for speaking up on behalf of Uyghur minority in China, even after being sentenced he has held on to his consistent approach of trying to build bridges between Han Chinese and the Uyghur minority.

MEPs to establish Kurdish Friendship Group

Support for fundamental rights from across the political spectrum

Around a dozen MEPs from a variety of political groups have met at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to agree the establishment of a Kurdish Friendship Group. The aim is to provide a forum of support and discussion for issues of concern relating to the Kurdish people. It is anticipated that t...

Launch of the Parliamentary Network of Friendship Groups of Catalonia

Press release from EFA MEPs J-M Terricabras and Jordi Solé

With the support of EFA MEPs Josep-Maria Terricabras and Jordi Solé, a group of Members of Parliaments from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia and Flanders, together with MEPs from the European Union-Catalonia Dialogue Platform, have established the Parliamentary Network of Friendship Group...

Brussels protest on Latvian school reforms

EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs opposes Latvian education reforms

Opponents to controversial school reforms in Latvia brought their protests to Brussels this week, supported by Greens/EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs, and former MEP Tatjana Ždanoka. They oppose plans by the Latvian government to phase out most Russian language teaching in the country's school...

EP backs Minimum standards for minorities in the EU

Press release from EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs

MEPs have strongly supported a report calling for minimum standards for minorities in the EU (rapporteur József NAGY). The report represents a complete overview of the European Parliament’s position on the rights of national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in the EU. ...

MEPs concerns at harsh sentences sought for Catalan leaders

Press release from the EFA Group in the European Parliament

MEPs from various political groups in the European Parliament, including the European Free Alliance, have signed a joint statement expressing their concern at the harsh sentences for Catalan political prisoners demanded by the Spanish prosecutor this week. Several Catalan pro-independence leaders...

Our fights, our values

What the Greens/EFA stand for

For 35 years, we have been making a difference and fighting to make Europe the global leader in terms of climate and environmental protection, peace and social justice, fair globalisation, and in the fight for human rights.

Language Equality in the Digital Age

27.09.2018

Conference on language technologies and digital equality in a multilingual Europe

Whilst many minority or smaller languages are thriving as community languages, it is often a different story online, where English often dominates. This is not only a problem for minority languages. Many EU languages are majority languages in the real world but have become minority languages in the digital world.

Language Equality in the Digital Age

Plenary speech from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Wales)

Jill Evans presents her report on language equality in the digital age at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, which makes proposals to help bridge the digital language divide.

Victory for language equality in the European Parliament

Press release from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Wales)

The European Parliament has overwhelmingly endorsed a report by Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans which calls for action at the EU level to bridge the digital language divide. The report looks at the use of languages in digital technology and makes a number of recommendations for action by the European ...