Hungarian American Coalition News, 2004 (13. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2004 / 3. szám
Hungarian-Hungarian Relations (continued from page 1) enable these Hungarian communities to have a head start after the accession of their countries of residence to the EU. Regrettably, Hungarian domestic politics in recent years has been characterized by very sharp political divisions between the governing parties and the opposition. This situation also adversely influences those institutions that ought to symbolize the national consensus and unity. The influence of the electoral calendar is also problematic, as it makes politicians to think, plan and act in terms of 4-year cycles. A most important task would be the establishment of a national consensus on the main questions of a national policy ("nemzetpolitika'' — meaning the basic existential questions of the Hungarian nation’s survival and prosperity in the Carpathian Basin - translator’s remark). In recent years, alarming demographical data indicate that the Hungarian minority population in the Carpathian Basin has shrunk by 300,000 within the past decade. As the population is not reproducing itself within Hungary either, there are now views that Hungary should use the minority populations to replenish its own population shortages, a policy which would contribute to the abandonment of areas which have been settled by Hungarians for 11 centuries, with all their natural treasures, traditions, symbols, historical and cultural relics. This new (but still strongly minority) thinking goes directly against the traditional consensus on trying to assure the survival, minority rights and prosperity of the Hungarian minorities in their ancient homelands. This debate is powerfully reflected in two relevant issues that are subjects of ongoing debates inside and outside of Hungary's borders. Dual citizenship The dispute is over the desirability of granting Hungarian citizenship by an expedited and simplified process to ethnic Hungarians in the surrounding countries — mostly citizens of those countries - by waving the requirement that the applicant reside in Hungary. The relevant foreign and international rules concerning multiple citizenship show a diverse picture. Among the neighboring countries, only Ukraine has a strict rule against holding any other citizenship by a citizen of its own. (Even this rule has started to crack in the current Presidential campaign, where the candidate of the incumbent regime included in his campaign a promise to do away with his rule and allow dual citizenship. He was certainly influenced not by the small Sub-Carpathian Hungarian community, but by the millions of ethnic Russian citizens of Ukraine. — translator ’s remark). The laws of other neighboring countries exhibit various degrees of tolerance for multiple citizenships. The EU does not prescribe the citizenship laws of its members, only the Council of Europe passed relevant guidelines (1997 - CETS No: 166. European Convention on Nationality). Those, however, contain only general rules of human rights nature such as the ban on discrimination, etc. There exists also the institution of Union citizenship: every citizen of a member country is also automatically a Union citizen. This, however, cannot be regarded as a second citizenship; although it provides rights and duties to its beneficiaries, it is subsidiary to the EU citizen's state citizenship. The original momentum for the drive for second (Hungarian) citizenship is provided by those groups, particularly the Hungarians of Voivodina (Serbia), and Transylvania (Romania), who are left out of the EU and who consequently fear isolation from the mother country. As indicated above, others support the idea as a shortcut to the replenishment of the shrinking Hungarian population of the mother country. The potential advantages of a dual-citizen policy are the following: It would provide a sense of security to these communities and strengthen their sense of identity. It would make it far easier to seek work in Hungary, thereby helping the jobless in the depressed minority areas and ease labor shortages in Hungary. It would also lead to more intensive contacts between communities and individuals, strengthening national cohesion. It is also worth pointing out that granting Hungarian citizenship does not require nearly the degree of consent, tolerance, and cooperation from the 2 - Hungarian American Coalition - November 2004
