Az Európai Unió esete a kisebbségekkel. A Balladur-tervtől a kisebbségvédelmi csomagig
The European Union and its Minorities

Summary/Abstract: European national minorities – among them, the Hungarians from Romania – turned towards the European Union with great expectations after the regime change, hoping that their situation would become normalized and enhanced. It soon became obvious that the Western interest in this regard was contradictory – often helpful, but other times uncomprehending or suspicious. Undoubtedly, there was an intention to pacify ethnic relations, but no clear solutions were offered – not only in response to the claims for autonomy, but also to demands for language rights or education in general. Respecting and protecting minority rights proved to be an issue that has been and is being interpreted differently by Western leaders to this day. Democracy is clearly important for minorities as well, but it is not enough to protect their identity. This issue resulted in the so-called Balladur Plan – the minorities expected a lot from it, but it turned out to be a disappointment after all. Nevertheless, this plan was the last major EU decision that tried to address regional specificities as a real issue. Besides this plan, the article also analyzes in detail the Memorandum submitted to the Council of Europe by the RMDSZ in 1993, which took into account, among other things, the minority problems specific for Romania.

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