Attempt to undermine the law on the state language

Draft bill #9178 of April 3, 2023 

Sponsor: MP Heorhii Mazurashu 

Who is affected: all inhabitants of Ukraine, businesses working in the service sector, the Commissioner for State Language. 

Summary of the bill: 

• private enterprises and entrepreneurs will be allowed to serve in languages other than Ukrainian 

• private enterprises providing services in a language other than the state language will be obliged to install an information plate (sticker) at the entrance to the premises and/or directly at the place of their activity, indicating the languages of service or a list of languages in which they provide service. 

What is wrong: 

• the bill violates the Constitution since it prevents the state from ensuring the functioning of the state language in all spheres of social life 
• the bill is not in line with the policy of strengthening the role of the Ukrainian language as the state language 
• people throughout Ukraine will not be able to exercise their right to being serviced in the state language 

• the bill provokes social tension during wartime. 

Alternative solution: 

• the bill should be rejected.