Magyar News, 2001. szeptember-2002. augusztus (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2002-03-01 / 7. szám

On June 19, the Hungarian Parliament with a majority of 306 votes against 17 adopted the Status Law, which regulates the rights of three million ethnic Hungarians, who live in the neighboring countries. According to this law, they will receive work permits in Hungary, at least for 3 months a year, but if necessary even for longer periods; health insurance and pension rights; free travel for children under 6 years old and for adults over 65, teenagers traveling in groups, others receive 90 % discounts four times a year; scholarships will be given to students, who in their native country attend Hungarian schools from kindergarten to high school, and college tuition to teachers and minis­ters. The purpose of the law is to encour­age ethnic Hungarians to remain in their native land, and to maintain their Hungarian identity. Three neighboring countries and the Ukraine accepted the new law with toler­ance, but Slovakia and particularly Romania opposed it vehemently. The offi­cials of the European Union and that of the European Council surprisingly expressed reservations, even though many member countries of the European Union have already adopted such status laws. The Romanian prime minister, Adrian Nastase, declared that he is ready to with­draw all bilateral agreements made with Hungary. He held out the prospect of imposing new taxes and custom regula­tions on incomes gained in Hungary. He also said that in regard to the pensions and workmen 's compensation benefits, they will take into consideration all incomes earned outside of Romania. He felt that the Status Law of Hungary is going to cre­ate discrimination between the Romanian majorities and minorities, which is con­trary to prevailing European values, and over emphasizes ethnic values. He expressed the desire that the Status Law be suspended until Hungary's acceptance into the European Union. The opposition party of the Romanian parliament, the Great Romania Party, led by Comeliu Vadin Tudor, demanded the closing of Romania 's border to the West and the alerting of the military. Eduard Kukán, the minister of foreign affairs of Slovakia, was less hysterical, but complained over the fact, as he said, that his country was not properly consulted by Hungary before the adoption of the Status Law, and demanded further consultation with Hungary before it would be enforced. The attitude of certain European offi­cials was even more surprising than the 'Romanian reaction. Goran Pearson the pro tempore president of the European Union felt that more consultations should take place between the neighboring countries before such a status law is ratified. Lord Russel-Johnson, the president of the Assembly of the European Council, said that he does not believe that such a law would "benefit the Hungarian minorities." Later on, he admitted that he was not sure what the Hungarian Status Law actu­ally contained. The Romanian delegation of the European Council presented a memoran­dum according to which the Hungarian Status Law is an extra territorial jurisdic­tion, that creates discrimination and stress between the citizens of its neighbors. This memorandum was endorsed by several of the Finnish, Danish, German and English representatives of the European Union. The Slovak representatives, in spite of the stand of their foreign minister, also signed the memorandum. At this timerthe Hungarian delegation "presented a motion before the European Union, subscribed by more than twenty foreign delegates of the European Council,demanding to review the status of the Hungarian minorities in the neighbor­ing countries. It also requested the Council to examine how well Hungary's neighbors are fulfilling the requirements of the Pan European principles and expectations con­cerning their minorities. Several leaders of the European Union and the European Council endorsed the Status Law. Gunther Verheugen, the com­missioner for the enlargement of the European Union declared that the Hungarian Status Law is in harmony with the union agree- ment between Hungary and the European Union. On the very same day, the general secretary of the European People's party, Alejandro Agag Longo, emphasized that this law is in accord with the European norms, and therefore is total­ly correct. The president of the People's Party, Wilfried Martens, praised the Hungarian govern- men for feeling con­cern for the welfare of its compatriots liv­ing outside its borders. The periodical "Libertate", the voice of the Romanians of Voivodina, Yugoslavia, also defended the Status Law, and offered it to the Romanian government as an example worthy of imitation. Indeed , the purpose of the Status Law is not to create discrimination, but rather to strengthen the national and cultural identi­ty of the Hungarian minorities. Victor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, in his television address of July 3rd, reiuted the accusation of the Slovak and Romanian government that they were not properly consulted. The undersecretary of foreign affairs had called together the ambassadors of the neighboring nations before the adop­tion of the law, asking for their comments and observations. The Law does not repre- (continued on page 2) Page 1

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