HUNGARIAN-SLOVAK “COLD WAR” AND THE QUESTION OF “HUNGARIANS ABROAD” IN HUNGARY-SLOVAKIA RELATIONS

• Main Author: Galina Nelaeva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Institute of Romania 2009-09-01
• Series: Romanian Journal of European Affairs
• Subjects: minority rights; EU accession
• Online Access: http://www.ier.ro/documente/rjea_vol9_no3/RJEA_Vol_9_No3_HUNGARIAN-SLOVAK_“COLD_WAR”_AND_THE_QUESTION_OF_“HUNGARIANS_ABROAD”_IN_HUNGARY-SLOVAKIA_RELATIONS.pdf

The question of EU relations with countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has been widely researched and debated both in political circles and the academia, especially in the light of the EU accession. Such issues as human rights, including minority rights, have been examined in relation to the states’ compliance with the Copenhagen criteria. However, the issue of minority rights (in particular, their prominence in bilateral relations of states) after accession has not received much scholarly attention. Hungary and Slovakia, two post-Communist states of CEE, aspired for EU membership for a number of reasons, one of which being the EU potential in bringing societal stability to these countries; both joined the European Union in 2004. The relations between these two countries, however, have not improved, they even worsened. This article seeks to examine the question of worsening relations between Hungary and Slovakia in relation to the issue of minority rights. It argues that an inadequate and inconsistent EU approach to minority rights (generally considered a domestic question) can lead to further societal instability in these two countries. Re-conceptualization of the EU approach to minority rights is necessary, if the EU is to remain the stabilizing power in the CEE.