The Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled that the law "On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language" complies with the country's fundamental law.
This was reported on the court's official Facebook page.
“The corresponding decision was made on July 14 at a plenary session of the Grand Chamber in the case of a constitutional petition of 51 People's Deputies of Ukraine.
The decision will be published on the official website of the court on July 15, "- explained in the message.
A group of deputies filed a corresponding petition in the summer of 2019.
One of its authors, a former deputy of the Rada, Alexander Dolzhenkov, called the court's decision political.
“Unfortunately, one could expect such a decision from the Constitutional Court.
Despite the fact that the law was adopted with obvious violations, despite the fact that it directly violates the European Charter for Regional Languages, the court recognizes it as consistent with the Constitution.
It looks like a political decision, not a legal one, ”the publication STRANA.ua quoted him as saying.
Dolzhenkov noted that the language law violates Article 24 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which prescribes a ban on linguistic privileges.
In addition, the former parliamentarian says, he was received in violation of the voting procedure - the votes of the absent deputies were counted for him.
Alexander Dolzhenkov stressed that despite the decision of the Constitutional Court, this law should be abolished as discriminatory towards national minorities.
Zelensky course
Recall that the law "On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language" was signed in May 2019 by the then President of the country, Petro Poroshenko.
It provides for the use of exclusively the Ukrainian language in all spheres of public life.
After coming to power, Vladimir Zelensky promised to analyze the law for compliance with the constitution.
He noted that the document was adopted "without a preliminary sufficiently broad discussion with the public."
However, Zelensky subsequently continued Poroshenko's discriminatory language policy by signing the law "On complete general secondary education" in the spring of 2020, which provides for the continued reduction of teaching in the languages of national minorities.
In the winter of 2019, the Venice Commission recommended that the Ukrainian authorities review this law.
The experts of the commission decided that Kiev should adopt a law on minorities that would protect them from discrimination.
Also, the Ukrainian authorities were invited to consider the possibility of lifting sanctions for violation of the norms of this law.
Later, Zelensky initiated the adoption of the law on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, the wording of which excluded Russians from this category, experts remind.
On the eve of the Constitutional Court's decision on the language law, Vladimir Zelensky called the situation with the language policy in the country difficult.
“Ukraine is in a difficult situation, as the tension can cause anything connected with Russia or with the Russian language.
(...) Although I believe that the Russian language is not the property of Russia, ”the President of Ukraine said.
Zelenskiy rejected the assertion that the country would be fined for speaking Russian on the street, but immediately admitted that the norms of the law allow this.
Vladimir Zelensky
Reuters
© Stefanie Loos / Pool
"It is not true.
But some norms in the law are written out in such a way that they make it possible to talk about it.
That is, you will not be fined if you speak fluently, of course, ”he said.
At the same time, according to him, due to the complexity of the language problem, its “fairest” solution would be to reduce attention to it.
“I think it is difficult to find justice in the issue of language, and I believe that it would be fairest not to raise this issue.
Everything is in Ukrainian legislation so that we live, work, talk and support our country and our language, ”Zelensky said.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova reacted to this statement by Zelensky, calling the logic of the President of Ukraine “wild”.
“It's scary that the Kiev regime extrapolates the same principle to all spheres of life.
It is difficult to find justice - there is no need to raise the issue.
At the same time, decisions are made deliberately unfair, which complicates existing problems and gives rise to new ones.
Wild logic, anti-democratic, ”the Russian diplomat wrote on Telegram.
At the same time, a RT source in the Verkhovna Rada apparatus recalled that many people's deputies themselves hardly speak the state language, and Zelensky's incomprehensible position on language policy makes them displeased.
“They are unhappy and want to understand what position President Zelensky takes.
He says one thing, does another.
You won't be able to sit on two chairs.
I think that not only the population, but also officials are against discrimination of the Russian language, "said the interlocutor of RT.
As a reminder, from January 16, 2021, in accordance with the norms of the language law, workers in the service sector (supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, sports clubs, hairdressers, etc.) must serve visitors only in Ukrainian.
In addition, on July 16, the norms of the law concerning the film industry and television, the conduct of events and the introduction of examinations in the state language will come into force.
An RT source in the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine claims that Ukrainian TV channels are absolutely not ready for the entry into force of the new norms of the language law.
"Can you imagine how much it costs to translate all films or TV series?"
In turn, a RT source in the Batkivshchyna party believes that the law is disadvantageous to all Ukrainians.
“For the east and south of the country, the ability to speak, watch programs and study in Russian is a matter of principle.
People are so comfortable.
And the law will not force them to change their habits.
They will simply watch Russian television, which the authorities do not want either, ”said the representative of Batkivshchyna.
Language space
As the political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak suggested in an interview with RT, the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the entry into force of the language law will lead to the ousting of all other languages, especially Russian, from the country's public life.
“The Ukrainian language no longer just dominates in the sphere of official communication, educational institutions, it has replaced all other languages, in particular Russian.
It is not excluded that this situation will come to real repressions against those who speak Russian at work or any other place, ”the political scientist emphasized.
Boris Mezhuev, associate professor of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, in an interview with RT, noted that the only solution to the issue of the Russian language in Ukraine is to return it the status of one of the state languages.
Reuters
© Gleb Garanich
“One of the options for solving this problem is an attempt to negotiate with the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine and movement towards some kind of cultural integration.
It is difficult to say how much this move will be implemented and effective, because it assumes that Ukraine will be forced to recognize its place within the Russian cultural and economic space, ”the political scientist emphasized.
According to Oleksandr Dudchak, the process of Ukrainization "accelerates intellectual degradation, as a generation is growing that simultaneously use the Russian and Ukrainian languages illiterately."
“After all, many families speak Russian, and if a child receives education in a language other than his own, the quality of education drops by 30%,” Dudchak explained.
Commenting on Zelensky's statement, the expert explained that Russia really did not privatize the Russian language - it does not prohibit anyone from communicating in it outside the state.
“The meaning of this statement by Zelensky is not completely clear.
It is possible that he meant that Ukrainians can use the Russian language.
At the same time, if Kiev followed the usual European norms of language policy, which does not prohibit the languages of national minorities, then such a situation would not have arisen, ”the expert concluded.