Ethnic Minority Policies as an Ethnic Cleavage Dimension Within Post-Communist Party Systems: Case Studies of Vojvodina Hungarians and Estonian Russians
Ethnic Minority Policies as an Ethnic Cleavage Dimension Within Post-Communist Party Systems: Case Studies of Vojvodina Hungarians and Estonian Russians

Summary/Abstract: Focusing on the case studies of Vojvodina Hungarians and Estonian Russians, the article aims to explain the persistence of ethnic cleavage in post- communist party systems. Ethnic cleavage is expressed in terms of ethnic minority policies pursued by political parties. Th e article relates the degree of stability of the ethnic cleavage within the party system to the persistence of party policy attitudes and policy practices in ethnic minority policy. Th e long- term impact of the salience of ethnopolitical issues at the outset of multi- party system on policy attitudes and policy practices of political parties is summarized in a two- decade- long perspective. A proneness of political party attitudes and practices to path dependence is related to reversal prospects of state minority policies. The article names the limitations of party policy- making in the sphere of ethnic minority policies.

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