Hungary: Passports Without Rights | European Journal
  • 14 years ago
Relations between Hungary and Slovakia have become strained after the government in Budapest offered passports to members of Slovakia's Hungarian minority. Bratislava has reacted angrily.Hungary's new prime minister Viktor Orbán has wasted little time in announcing that ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia will soon be able to apply for a Hungarian passport. Orbán neglected to inform the Slovak authorities first and they were quick to voice their disapproval. Slovaks of Hungarian descent who accept Hungarian passports now risk losing their Slovakian citizenship. In addition, Slovakia's Hungarian passport holders won't enjoy the same rights granted to regular Hungarian citizens. They will neither be able to vote in Hungarian elections nor qualify for social security benefits in Hungary.