governmental role of ethnic minority parties
As a result of the democratic changes that began in 1989 sizeable national minorities in Central Europe (e.g. Hungarians in Romania and Slovakia) formed ethnic parties or parties based on the votes of a particular minority community (e.g. Muslims in Bulgaria). In parliamentary elections they gained parliamentary representation by crossing the parliamentary threshold and subsequently representation in the European Parliament when the country concerned joined European Union. The role of ethnic parties – or parties that rely on the votes of a particular minority community – is often twofold. They participate in the national political struggle where they have to reach the parliamentary threshold if they want to represent the interests of the minority in national or provincial politics and at the same time they also represent the interests of their specific minority community and their region. The opposition position gives more freedom in the formulation of programmes but less in their implementation, if they do not have specific institutional or legal guarantees (self-government). Among the Hungarian ethnic parties the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség – RMDSZ), the Independent Hungarian Initiative (Független Magyar Kezdeményezés – FMK) and the Hungarian Coalition Party (Magyar Koalíció Pártja – MKP) in Slovakia, and the Association of Hungarians in Serbia (Vajdasági Magyar Szövetség – VMSZ) participated in the governments of their respective countries. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which enjoys the support of Turks and Muslims in Bulgaria, is a frequent member of the Bulgarian government coalition or its external supporter. The parties of national minorities and the political parties supported by minorities played a stabilising role in the domestic and foreign policy of the countries concerned, supported their Euro-Atlantic integration, and were at the same time institutions representing and advocating the interests of the minority. The most important program points of Hungarian parties beyond the borders include: 1. deepening and internationalising the protection of minority rights; 2. promoting autonomy solutions; 3. linking linguistic, political and administrative rights with cultural, local and regional self-government efforts; 4. cooperation between Hungarian communities beyond the borders and the kin-state (motherland), institutionalising the implementation of the Preferential Treatment Law; 5. steps taken towards a consensual model of government by taking up a role in the government. In the context of European integration the strengthening of regional cooperation with neighbouring states and the “reintegration” of people of the same nationality by extending the legal institution of citizenship take place simultaneously. The extension of citizenship is a practice used by several states in the region. The legal systems of Romania, Serbia, Croatia and the Czech Republic allow dual citizenship. All Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina could be citizens of Croatia just as all Serbs could also be citizens of Serbia.