Europeanisation, National Identities and Migration ... - europeanization

236 Judit Tóth and Endre Sik
nationalities, parts of the nation, Hungarians abroad, Diaspora or Hungarians
beyond the borders but terminological diversity has remained up to now strongly
linked to the controversial nature of the policies and their legal obscurity (Tóth
2000a).
Members of the nation can be legally classified into three simple categories. First,
and the great part of them, the citizens of the Hungarian Republic. Second, several
million ethnic Hungarians, who are foreign citizens. Finally, the family relationships
of the two previous groups have created a great number of ethnic Hungarians
in possession of multiple citizenship. Attachment on the basis of citizenship is just
one aspect, the other being that of registered, lawful residence. In accordance with
the latter, a differentiation is made between Hungarian citizens living in Hungary,
Hungarian citizens living abroad, and foreign citizens residing in Hungary or
living abroad but belonging to the Hungarian nation. These simple elements
of classification may only be used if it can be legally determined what belonging to
the Hungarian ethnicity means, and what the requirements of living somewhere
include.
Although the number of domestic and international legal sources covering the
various legal aspects of Diaspora is increasing – it amounted to over 150 sources in
force in 2000 – the Diaspora law has been subjected to changing political priorities,
but has not established a coherent structure. Further, the Diaspora policy is based
on the basis of myths or common belief on the part of ethnic Hungarian communities.
For instance, Hungarians beyond the borders are always referred to as a
community of three million in the surrounding states, and two million emigrants
all over the world (Tóth 2000). While the first group is considered the innocent
victims of migrating state borders, the emigrants are stigmatised. The Hungarian
community in the neighbouring states is regarded as a depository of genuine ethnical
identity, but the assimilated emigrants are regarded as ‘second-class patriots’ who
left voluntarily for a better life, despite the fact that the Holocaust exchanges of
population in 1945–6, the Communist suppression and the revolution in 1956
produced thousands of expatriated nationals. Social surveys on various patterns of
all socialisation to the environment in each majoritarian society and statistics on
composition of Diaspora groups have never been required in order to establish
informed Diaspora policies or regulation. The European integration of the mother
country inspires the birth of new myths (Bárdi 2000) as well as new stereotypes of
Hungarians across the borders.
Needless to say, these priorities of foreign affairs doctrine have never been equal.
Frequently they are in competition, and the government in power has to make
choices in concrete political situations. Meanwhile, public opinion can feel reassured
(Tóth 2000b).
Do not panic over Schengen – stay at home!
The ‘imported’ instruments of exclusion during the efforts towards accession to
the EU have been implemented against migrants, of which about two thirds
belong to the nation. Besides the fact that the public administration is overworked,