They will require speaking only Ukrainian: The Rada prepares changes to the language law

Members of parliament may expand the list of officials who are required to know the Ukrainian language. They wrote the relevant provisions into the bill "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Ensuring of Ukrainian as the State Language."

Language legislation may soon be updated

Members of parliament, in cooperation with representatives of central executive authorities, the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, and experts, managed to agree on a bill on the mandatory use of the Ukrainian language by officials and educators. Such legislative and administrative decisions should be made in accordance with the interests of the state and the future of the Ukrainian people. This was reported by the Office of the Verkhovna Rada.

Thus, during the performance of their duties officials and education workers must speak in Ukrainian. This will strengthen the improvement of state control and the consideration of complaints about violations. Accordingly, changes are being made to legislative norms in the fields of education, culture, local self-government, electoral law, and others. The Chair of the Subcommittee on Cultural Affairs, Mykola Kniazhytskyi, says that the proposed changes should be realistically implemented in practice.

Bill No.15412 provides for the use of the Ukrainian language in educational and children's wellness institutions. Also, the state language should be used exclusively among members of election commissions.

What specific changes do the deputies propose

Local councils must create conditions for the development and popularization of the Ukrainian language. Diplomatic services must carry out the same work abroad.

Knowledge of the state language will become mandatory after the adoption of the amendments for:

Members of the Ukrainian parliament;

heads of state scientific institutions and state cultural institutions;

private enforcement officers, arbitration managers, auditors.

Lawmakers also propose clear requirements for textual and visual information intended for public awareness. The font size of text in another language must not be larger than the font size of text in the state language.

In the explanatory note the authors of the draft wrote about strengthening sanctions for violations of the Law on the mandatory use of the state language. The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language will have the right to fine citizens from 400 – 1 000 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens, or to issue a warning if the violation was committed for the first time. If another complaint about a violation of language legislation is filed within a year, then sanctions may increase from 1 200 to 1 500 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens.

Members of the Committee on Humanitarian Policy emphasized that international partners will be informed that the changes to the law do not narrow the rights of national minorities, comply with European standards, and are in line with Ukraine's European integration commitments.

We must be one step ahead and explain to our partners in advance exactly what this bill changes, in order to avoid any manipulation,

— clarified the committee's deputy chair, Yevheniia Kravchuk.

A moratorium on the Russian language is being introduced in Ukraine

Recall that the Law on the State Language provides for the use of Ukrainian in the cultural sphere but allows the use of other languages in certain cases. As lawyer Nazar Chornyi told Channel 24 in a comment, local councils do not have the authority to independently impose restrictions on the use of the Russian language, since language policy matters fall within the competence of the Verkhovna Rada.

Decisions of local self-government bodies can be appealed in court. At the same time, the adopted moratoria currently remain in force in several cities until they are canceled by the Rada itself or by a court. The expert believes that such decisions are more political and declarative in nature.