Hungary’s parliament today approved a law making it easier for two million ethnic Hungarians living in central Europe to get citizenship, in a move which has triggered a row with neighbouring Slovakia.
Parliament passed an amendment allowing ethnic Hungarians from next year to apply for citizenship without requiring a stay in Hungary if they have Hungarian ancestry, and speak Hungarian. The legislation does not automatically give voting rights.
The law was approved with 344 votes for, three against and five abstentions in a vote followed by long applause in Hungary's parliament which was elected last month.
Slovakia, which considers Hungary's measure a security threat, was holding a special government meeting to debate countermeasures and may submit motions to its own parliament later today.
Hungarian deputy prime minister-designate Zsolt Semjen yesterday dismissed Slovak concerns as "hysteria”.
The two ex-communist states have repeatedly sparred over the treatment of a half-million-strong Hungarian minority in Slovakia, most recently about a new language law which Hungary says hurts minority rights.
The citizenship bill has been an old pledge of Hungary's centre-right Fidesz party which won elections in April and will form a government on Saturday, while in Slovakia it has become an issue in the campaign for June 12th elections.
"The Slovak reaction's toughness may not be proportionate to the Hungarian measure," aid Peter Kreko, analyst at Political Capital in Budapest. "The two states' relations will hinge on the composition of the next Slovak government... which might even need Hungarian parties as part of the coalition.”
Slovak prime minister Robert Fico's left-wing SMER is a favourite to form a new government after the June vote. At the moment the nationalist party SNS is also part of the Slovak coalition government.
There are over two million ethnic Hungarians living in neighbouring countries, such as Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine and Romania, whose ancestors lost their Hungarian citizenship as a result of the Trianon peace treaty ending the first World War.
"I would give Hungarian citizenship to all Hungarians, as they are of our blood, they have also suffered for Trianon and they deserve to be accepted as Hungarian citizens," said Iren Menik (57), in Budapest.