Hungary: Protection of ethnic minorities and institutional balance

• Main Authors: GWIAZDA, Anna, BENOIT, Kenneth
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2006
• Subjects: Eastern European Studies; Political Science
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/4049; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/5307/viewcontent/Hungary_Policy_makingProcessesEC_pvoa_cc_by_nc_nd.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

United in support for the EU constitution, the Hungarians none the less remember the past dismemberment of their country, as a result of which a significant number of Hungarian minorities live in neighboring countries. Hence, it was not surprising that the Hungarian government’s position at the IGC 2003–4 focused on the protection of minority rights, although institutional balance was also important. The only “exclusive” Hungarian proposal of the “protection of ethnic and national minorities” was supported by both the socialists and the opposition Fidesz–Hungarian Civic Party. Hungary joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. EU membership had been a top priority of Hungarian foreign policy since 1990 (Vida 2002: 47). After having signed the association agreement with the EC in 1991, Hungary applied for EU membership in 1994 and began the EU accession negotiations in 1998.