Külügyi Szemle - A Teleki László Intézet Külpolitikai Tanulmányok Központja folyóirata - 2003 (2. évfolyam)
2003 / 3. szám - EURÓPA - Sáfi Csaba: A Few Words on the Federal Law on State policy of the Russian Federation with regard to Fellow Countrymen Abroad
A Few Words on the Federal Law on State Policy of the Russian Federation countrymen which presents significant differences from country to country and, second, their economic, social, cultural, and educational circumstances and needs. Under Yeltsin, the development of an unified platform with regard to fellow countrymen was further hampered by the fact that both the presidential administration and the government established its own advisory body. Yet, despite the parallel activities of the experts, the draft concept of Russian minority policy was successfully be elaborated.19 According to the original intention, this draft concept - which assigned the role of bridges to national communities - was to serve as a basis of the law to be elaborated later on. The concept, however, fell victim to bureaucracy and the uncertainties caused by a series of reorganisations of the government. Given that no common denominator had been found concerning the policy to be followed with regard to fellow countrymen prior to the elaboration of the law, the one that was finally developed does not distinguish between fellow countrymen living in the "Near Abroad" and "Far Abroad". It does not, at least in the sense that it tries to deal with the two different groups of the fellow countrymen within the framework of one law. Federal Law on State Policy of the Russian Federation with regard to Fellow Countrymen Abroad A great debate preceded the adoption of the federal law on fellow countrymen. The lower house (State Duma) adopted the law already on November 13, 1998 but the upper house (the Council of the Federation) rejected it on several occasions (December 2,1998 and March 2,1999). At last, the State Duma adopted the law - overturning the presidential veto - on March 5,1999 and the upper house reinforced it on March 17. The law entered into force on June 1,1999 after having been signed by President Yeltsin on May 24, 1999. The gravity of the debate around the federal law on fellow countrymen is indicated by the fact that the adoption of the law triggered so sharp a criticism on the part of the presidential administration that they even left the possibility of bringing the law in front of the Constitutional Court open. Prior to the analysis of the law, there are four more points to be made. First, the law - correctly - makes a distinction between fellow countryman and fellow countryman living abroad. Accordingly, the concept of the fellow countryman includes that of the fellow countryman living abroad. After this, for the sake of lucidity and simplicity, the law understands exclusively fellow countrymen living abroad under the fellow countrymen term (Article l). Second, the meaning of diaspora in Russian political terminology differs from how Hungarians interpret it. Diaspora, according to Russian political thought, today comprises, beyond those who emigrated outside the borders of the former Soviet Union, also those Russians who live in the countries of the "Near 2003. ősz 39
