The launch of a twin-family movement in Transcarpathia was announced this Friday in Budapest. According to Bence Rétvári, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, the civil initiative is very important as it provides a way for Hungarian families living across borders to help each other.

The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs said at the press conference for the initiation of the movement that because of the difficult political situation in Ukraine, for Hungarians living there now it is especially a hard time. Besides poverty, legal uncertainty is also a serious issue and the sense of security of a family may increase if they have a steady connection with a Hungarian family in the mainland.

As Bence Rétvári said, the movement gives an opportunity for families in Hungary and Hungarian families living in Transcarpathia to help and strengthen each other, which would mean consistency and security for them. He also emphasised that the fate of Hungarians living in Ukraine and how they could use their rights is of great importance for the Hungarian government. He added that the first Transcarpathian Member of the European Parliament could be elected from the list of the FIDESZ-KDNP, the current Hungarian governing party alliance and this way their legal protection may reach a European level.

The programme can be applied by sending a photo and a short introduction of the family to [[[yvQGawP8NlMYYYgzdGVzdHZlcmNzYWxhZEBjc2FsYWRoYWxvLmh1]]]. After registering online, organisers connect the families living on the two sides of the Hungarian border. They are also planning a family meeting during the end of June. According to the information gathered for the press release, about 150,000 Hungarians live in Transcarpathia, but this numbers is constantly decreasing due to the low number of childbirths. As they have written: “Their endurance and existence is of special importance in these uncertain times for the whole of our nation”.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)