On 17 December, the European Parliament intergroup for Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages held its first constitutive meeting in Strasbourg. The main purpose of this first meeting was to elect the two co-chairs and three vice-chairs of the Intergroup, which is mainly supported by the European Free Alliance/Greens group, the socialists (S&D) and the liberal group (ALDE).
For the first two and half years, the two co-chairs will be Hungarian MEP Kinga Gal (EPP) and Finnish MEP Carl Haglund (ALDE). For the second period of the Parliament’s term, the Intergroup has planned that it will be shared by joint co-chairs from EFA/Greens and Csaba Tabajdi (S&D).
During its first session, a discussion took place on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on national minority and linguistic rights. The Intergroup also published an official statement welcoming the Lisbon Treaty.