“Regardless of whether President Duda signs the bill or not, as the New Left we will submit a bill,” said New Left MEP Łukasz Kohut, who announced that a bill on the recognition of Silesians as an ethnic minority will be submitted to parliament in 2024. the Sejm.
In January 2024, a parliamentary bill on the recognition of the Silesian language as a regional language was submitted to the Sejm. The leaders of the parliamentary majority, i.e. the Civic Coalition, Third Way and New Left, had previously announced their support for this initiative. According to Kohut, a debate on this topic could take place during the first March session of the Sejm.
Firstly, we must close the issue of the recognition of the Silesian language as a regional language. Later, regardless of whether President Andrzej Duda signs the bill or not, we as the New Left will submit a bill to recognize the Silesians as an ethnic minority. This will definitely happen this year
— said Kohut during a meeting with journalists.
I don’t know what the effect will be if in the future there is a vote to recognize the Silesians as an ethnic minority. However, I have no doubt that the President will certainly not sign this bill into law. Next year, after the presidential elections, we will start collecting signatures for a citizens’ bill on the recognition of Silesians and Kashubians as ethnic minorities.
– announced the MEP.
According to the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and Regional Languages, an ethnic minority is a group of Polish citizens that is smaller in number than the rest of the country’s population, is significantly different in language, culture and tradition, and strives to retain. Moreover, the country is aware of its own historical ethnic community, which it expresses and protects; its ancestors have lived in the present territory of Poland for at least a hundred years, and its members do not identify with any nation organized in their own country.
Four ethnic minorities
The law recognizes four ethnic minorities: Karaim, Lemko, Roma and Tatar. In addition, there are nine national minorities, which form a separate group, and one regional language (Kashubian).
Supporters of Silesia’s autonomy are going further and further. Will they be able to pass laws that are beneficial to them?
READ ALSO: Gorzelik back again?! For him, Poland is… “memory”. “I wonder if we should opt out as Upper Silesians”
mly/PAP
Source: wPolityce