Borboly Csaba spent nine months working within the Committee of the Regions to ensure that the EU’s Equality Strategy would not blur the distinction between two fundamentally different challenges. The result: several of his amendments were incorporated into the final CoR opinion.
Why Was It Necessary to Intervene at All?
In October 2025, the European Commission adopted the LGBTQ+ Equality Strategy for the period 2026–2030. Alongside the legitimate principles of equality and the fight against discrimination, the document contained a dangerous terminological drift. An increasing number of Brussels texts began treating indigenous national and ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community as one and the same category. This is not a matter of conceptual imprecision — it is the consequence of a political decision with direct implications for the Hungarians of Székelyföld and for every other autochthonous community in Europe.
An indigenous minority is not a group defined by sexual orientation. The UN Framework Convention on Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages have built a century-old legal protection system grounded in communal identity, language, and territory. This framework cannot be conflated with other equality categories without undermining the protection afforded to both.
From Committee to Plenary: Step by Step
As a member of the SEDEC committee, Borboly Csaba participated in the full legislative process of the opinion. The amendments he submitted during the committee phase were incorporated into the committee text adopted on 24 April. He subsequently submitted further amendments for the plenary session.
Amendments that received a positive assessment and are likely to be adopted: The new paragraph on rural and mountainous regions (Am. 7) states that ESF+ and ERDF funds must reach peripheral areas and finance solutions tailored to local specificities. The amendment on education (Am. 40) establishes that the content of education remains within the competence of member states and regions, with age-appropriateness and parental involvement being mandatory requirements.
Amendments facing a more difficult path: Am. 3, which incorporates the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality into the first paragraph; Am. 12, which mandates capacity-building support for local authorities; Am. 23, which finances local action against cyberbullying; Am. 34, which targets mental health services for rural youth; Am. 54, which guarantees the decentralised use of cohesion funds; and Am. 70, which enshrines data collection proportionality and GDPR safeguards.
What Does This Mean in Practice Between 2026 and 2030?
The opinion of the Committee of the Regions is not law, but it is a mandatory consultative step in the EU legislative process. The principles enshrined within it influence both the European Parliament and the Council. If the conceptual distinction is preserved in the final text, it means that for Harghita County and Székelyföld, the indigenous minority community cannot be placed within a legal framework that judges identity on the basis of sexual orientation.
If the territorial guarantee concerning ESF+ and ERDF funds is maintained, the Harghita County Council will be able to invoke, in future funding applications, the fact that the EU — based on its own opinion — is obliged to ensure that cohesion funds do not flow exclusively to cities. This is not a minor technical detail. It is the most important competitive advantage for the next programming period.
Why Can Ostrich Politics Not Be the Solution?
Many avoid this topic because they find it politically uncomfortable. But silence is not neutrality. Those who do not participate in the Brussels debate cede a space to others — a space where decisions are made about their own communities. Over the past three years, this is precisely what has happened with the handling of the concept of indigenous minorities. Borboly Csaba did not surrender that space.
The work continues. The mid-term review in 2028 will provide another opportunity to enforce the actual implementation of the adopted principles. This will require the Harghita County Council, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), and the Brussels representation to act in a coordinated manner.