Fines for ignoring the Ukrainian language could be increased tenfold: the language ombudswoman demands tough changes
Don't respect the state language — lose profits
Fines for systematic violations of language legislation in Ukraine may rise significantly. The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Olena Ivanovska said that much harsher sanctions should be applied to those who do not respond to either the first or the second warning and who in effect demonstratively ignore the state’s requirements.
Olena Ivanovska said this in an interview with LB.ua. According to her, the current accountability mechanism does not always force offenders to change their behavior, especially if this is not an accidental mistake but a systematic unwillingness to comply with the law.
The Commissioner explained that proposals to strengthen accountability have already been prepared, and the changes themselves are to be introduced into the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses.
“We have already submitted proposals to increase the amount of fines, and these changes must be reflected in the Code on Administrative Offenses. In the annual report I insist on radical changes,” she said.
According to Olena Ivanovska, a warning should remain a chance only for those who truly erred accidentally. But if a person or business continues to violate language legislation after that, the state’s response must be much tougher.
This is primarily about systematic violators for whom current fines may be merely “costs” rather than a real deterrent. That is why the ombudswoman believes that ignoring the Ukrainian language must become economically unprofitable.
Olena Ivanovska emphasized that the language law is not a matter of censorship. According to her, it is a matter of citizens’ right to be heard in the state language in their own country.
“My position is emotional because it has been hard‑won: the language law is not about censorship, it is about the right to be heard in one’s own country. And we will not allow the protection of the state language to be turned into an endless cycle of ‘complaint – warning – ignoring’. A repeated violation is a challenge to the state, and the response to it must be immediate and uncompromising. I am not afraid of appearing ‘tough’,” the commissioner said.
The ombudswoman also believes that the Ukrainian language should not be a formal “tick‑box” requirement, but a natural condition of professional activity in Ukraine. That is, a person working in the service sector, the public sector, education or other public fields should actually comply with the law’s requirements, not wait for the next complaint.
That is why Olena Ivanovska does not rule out the option that fines for systematic violators could be increased by 10 times.
“Therefore multiplying fines by 10 is a perfectly workable option for systematic violators. We must act on the principle: if you do not respect the state language, you lose profit; if you do not follow the law, you lose the right to professional practice.”
It is also reported that in Ukraine plans are being developed to create a Coordinating Council on Language Policy. It is to deal with issues of applying the state language and responding to problems in this area.
By design, such a council should become a kind of headquarters for making urgent decisions. Olena Ivanovska believes that its composition should include representatives of the MFA, the NSDC and the Ministry of Education, since language policy concerns not only the service sector but also education, security and the international representation of Ukraine.
For the Korablevnyi District of Mykolaiv this topic is also relevant. Stores, trading establishments and service‑sector businesses here have been repeatedly inspected for compliance with language legislation. Entrepreneurs were warned that the language of customer service in Ukraine is Ukrainian, and administrative liability is provided for ignoring the law’s requirements.
Previously we wrote:
- Fines up to 11,900 UAH: businesses in Korablevnyi were checked again for compliance with the language law
- Fines up to 11,900 UAH: in Korablevnyi businesses were checked for compliance with the language law
- Language raids in the Korablevnyi district: 22 institutions inspected in a week, violations found
- Language raids in Korablevnyi continue: 3 violations found in a week
- In Korablevnyi they are again looking for violators of the language law: 27 establishments inspected in a week
