William Penn Life, 2010 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2010-06-01 / 6. szám
Magyar Matters AHF honors Case Western The American Hungarian Foundation (AHF) April 16 presented its Abraham Lincoln Award to Case Western Reserve University in appreciation of the university’s efforts to enhance understanding of the Hungarian culture and heritage in the Cleveland area and middle America. Richard Sarosi (R), representing WPA Branch 14 Cleveland, congratulates Case Western Reserve Univeristy President Barbara R. Snyder as she receives the award from AHF President August J. Molnár. Members of the Hungarian community continue to play an important role in education, science, research and community development in the greater Cleveland area. New dual citizenship law creates tensions with Slovakia from MTI BUDAPEST — Hungary's parliament passed a law May 26 which will ease conditions for ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries for getting Hungarian citizenship. The amendment was passed with 344 votes in favour, 3 against and 5 abstentions. The law, submitted by the incoming governing Fidesz-Christian- Democratic alliance, allows ethnic Hungarians to apply for citizenship if they can show they are of Hungarian origin and speak the language. They would not have to stay in Hungary to get citizenship, but they would not be granted voting rights. The law, which will go into effect in January 2011, has angered the government in Slovakia, which has threatened strong retaliatory action. Opposition politicians in Hungary and an ethnic Hungarian party in Slovakia had asked the Fidesz-led alliance to hold off from presenting the bill until the general election in Slovakia scheduled for June 12. Another concern is whether the two ethnic Hungarian parties in Slovakia will get mandates after the June vote. The Hid party had asked Viktor Orbán, the incoming prime minister, to put the bill on hold. Easing access to citizenship for the more than 2.5 million ethnic Hungarians living beyond the borders has been a major symbolic issue for the Hungarian centre-right alliance. Zsolt Semjén, head of the Christian Democrats and incoming deputy prime minister who has been put in charge of the issue, said that the politics of another country should not dictate the timetable of legislation in Budapest. Hungary's foreign minister-designate János Mártonyi said Hungary would consider it a gross violation of international law if Slovakia's Parliament carried out its threat to immediately adopt a law automatically depriving applicants for the citizenship of another country of their Slovak citizenship, noting that many Slovak nationals are dual citizens. Budapest believes that the law Slovak Parliament threatens to enact would discriminate against those wishing to acquire dual citizenship in the future. Slovakia has made it clear its intention to take the issue to international bodies such as the European Commission, upping the ante at a time when Hungary is about to take over the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of 2011. □ In Brief □ Children in our nation’s capital learned about Hungarian culture during the 4th Annual International Children’s Festival May 15 in Washington. Hungary’s was the only embassy representing Central Europe. The Hungarian booth featured information on Hungarian history, tourist destinations and popular animated film characters. The Hungarian Association will host its 50th Hungarian Congress Nov. 26 to 28 in Cleveland. The Congress provides a forum for the discussion of issues impacting Hungarian Americans and offering educational, literary, artistic and informative lectures by members of the North American Hungarian community. For information, visit the Hungarian Association’s website at www.hungarianassociation.com or call 216-651 -4929. □ Hungarian President László Sólyom has named centre-right Fidesz party leader Viktor Orbán as the next prime minister. Orbán, whose Fidesz party won elections by a landslide in April and ousted the Socialists, served as Hungary’s prime minister from 1998 to 2002. He was expected to form his new government by the end of May. William Penn Life 0 June 2010 ° 5
