- Press releases
First things first: a new president was elected! Loránt Vincze takes over as head of the Federal Union of European Nationalities. The Hungarian from Romania was elected in Wroclaw with a slim majority. 89 of the 176 eligible votes went to the politician from the party of the Hungarians in Romania. His opponent, Dieter Paul Küssner from South Schleswig, collected 74 votes. Elected into the Presidium were further Daniel Alfreider of South Tyrolean People’s Party (SVP), Dieter Paul Küssner of Sydslesvigsk Forening (SSF), Olga Martens of Internationaler Verband der Deutschen Kultur (IVDK), Halit Habipoglu of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), Gösta Toft of Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger (BDN) and Bernhard Ziesch of Domowina-Zwjazk Łužiskich Serbow.
At the final day of the Congress, the elections took place. Before, Hans Heinrich Hansen had presented the activity report over 2015-2016. Bernhard Ziesch explained the financial report. The Federal Union of European Nationalities is able to show positive results in 2015, just like in 2014. The positive results amount to 2,070.38 Euro. This was possible because of sound financial management and especially because of success in collecting the membership fees and acquiring project grants. FUEN no longer has a negative equity. These results create the basis from where FUEN can acquire further public funding and donations that FUEN can use to represent the interests of the European minorities on the regional, national and in particular on the European level.
The Delegates granted discharge to the Presidium. The reports by the Working Groups followed, before FUEN Vice President Martha Stocker, Minister on behalf of the South Tyrolean People’s Party (SVP), announced the EUROPEADA, the European football championship of the autochthonous national minorities from 18 until 22 June 2016. “We are coming under some pressure”, she admitted with a smile; some teams still have to complete their registrations. Martha Stocker said that everything is currently done to ensure that everyone will have a beautiful week in South Tyrol. “I wish that we have football matches among equals.”
During a grand gala evening, Martha Stocker and Hans Heinrich Hansen were ceremoniously bowed out. Fine words, flowers and songs moved the two of them and also many of the guests to tears. The new Presidium decided to make Hans Heinrich Hansen honorary president of FUEN. Also in the future his experience will be in demand.
