Open Letter to MEP Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle

Dear Madam Member of the European Parliament,

I would like to express my sincere thanks for your intervention during the plenary session of the European Parliament held in Strasbourg on 10 July 2025.

I would like to thank you especially for this visual gesture, as it may serve as an encouraging signal for representatives of other national regions as well. Embracing and making visible the symbols of one’s homeland is an essential part of the process leading to the European recognition of national regions and regional identities.

It is important to stress that we must not allow the generally accepted norms of minority rights to be conflated with the collective rights that are rooted in the attachment to one's homeland.

We must recognise that the European Commission displays political insensitivity on this issue: it fails to acknowledge the role of cultural and linguistic islands.

Regrettably, the Commission applies a double standard: while it supports official linguistic diversity in principle, it refuses to recognise the collective rights tied to the homeland.

This injustice can only be remedied through joint action. Only through unity can we make it clear: we are not merely EU citizens, but peoples of Europe – currently unrecognised, yet genuinely existing – whose collective identity and bond with their homeland deserve acknowledgment.

I wish you every success in your parliamentary work. I trust that our joint efforts will also contribute to deepening dialogue and cooperation between the Frisians and the Székelys.

Respectfully,
Balázs Izsák
President of the Szekler National Council
Marosvásárhely, 17 July 2025