History/Political Science paper by Oltay, Edith
The Redefinition of the Hungarian Nation Concept (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
The Hungarian kinstate has institutionalized relations to ethnic Hungarians who live outside its territory by granting them dual citizenship and non-resident voting rights. At the heart of the policy is the redefinition of the nation on an ethno-cultural basis to encompass all ethnic Hungarians in a united nation that stretches across state borders. The kinstate took up the representation of the interests of its ethnic kin by asserting that its responsibilities transcend territory and citizenship. It sought to monitor the situation of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries and felt obliged to help them reach their basic aspirations, collective rights and a form of autonomy in the region where they live. Ethnic Hungarians worldwide greeted dual citizenship as a badge of identity that makes it clear that they belong to the Hungarian nation. In Hungary, a long-standing controversy over the ethno-cultural and political concept of the nation revolves around the question whether ethnic Hungarians are an integral part of Hungarian nation or belong to the political nation of their home states whose major responsibility it is to guarantee their rights. Many Western observers greeted the use of dual citizenship and voting rights to integrate migrants into Western societies but criticized its use to strengthen the ethnic identity of national minorities. I examine Hungarian kinstate policy in the framework of nationalism and analyze the reactions to it in Hungary, among Hungarian minorities and the countries where they live as well as in the EU.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Edith Oltay is a political scientist who finished her undergraduate studies in the USA and received her M.A. in political science with sociology and philosophy as minor subjects, from the University of Bonn. Since 1990, the development of the Hungarian party system has been the focus of her research. In this context, she came to concentrate on the topic of Hungarian kinstate policy, competing nation concepts, the situation and aspirations of Hungarian minorities. She is currently PhD student at the National University of Public Service Budapest, her thesis: “From Status Law to Citizenship: The Redefinition of the Hungarian Nation Concept” focuses on the key aspects of Hungarian kinstate policy.