Narkiewicz: Situation in which penalties for bilingual notices are imposed looks weird.

During a meeting with the Speaker of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and other important representatives of the EP, the Deputy Speaker of the Seimas from the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (AWLP) Jarosław Narkiewicz pointed out to problems of national minorities in Lithuania.

–We can count on your understanding of the situation in which  in a state that belongs to the European Union, national identity should be protected in a proper way, also legally. A legal base that would not only allow the rights to be protected but also taken care of should be created. A situation in which people from one of member states are punished for putting bilingual notices on their houses or for trying to use their mother tongue along with the official language looks weird”– said Jarosław Narkiewicz during the meeting of leaders of the Lithuanian Parliament and the European Union.

J. Narkiewicz also drew attention to the fact that the Lithuanian Act on national minorities has expired. In the opinion of the Deputy Speaker, it was the only act “protecting the national values”.

“The speech about national minorities’ problems is a proof of our courage. It shows that we can, in a democratic way, talk not only about our quite great achievements but also about the ones that still need to be perfected” – commented a MP from AWLP.

Source: http://l24.lt/pl/polityka/item/12004-narkiewicz-dziwnie-wyglada-sytuacja-gdy-nakladane-sa-kary-za-dwujezyczne-napisy

Tłumaczenie by Emilia Zawieracz w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Emilia Zawieracz within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.