Written by Arielle Thedrei
Millions of Turks, Serbs, Moldovans, Ukrainians and Macedonians could soon be European citizens, thanks to some fancy footwork by new member states.
Already dealing with growing unease over immigration, and with publics haunted by the spectre of “invasion”, the European Union could have done without three of its newest members effectively opening a backdoor on fortress Europe. Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria have to some extent infringed the terms of their mission to secure the EU’s eastern borders by allowing up to five million Moldovans, Macedonians, Serbs, Ukrainians and Turks to avail of procedures to obtain European passports. History and the perceived injustices of the past have provided them with a means to circumvent immigration barriers. While Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian political leaders are hoping to reap the benefits of being perceived as the bearers of this unexpected gift, officials in the capitals of Old Europe are none too happy. A new Hungarian law on dual nationality, which could concern up to 3.5 million people, will offer the keys to the European labour market to 300,000 Serbs of Hungarian origin in the autonomous province of Vojvodina and to 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in the Ukraine when it comes into force in January. It has also ratcheted up tensions between Hungary and two other EU states: 1.4 million Magyars live in Romania, and there are 520,000 Hungarians in Slovakia (10 % of the population). Slovak authorities were particularly offended by the plan. The bill proposed by right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban and supported by the extreme-right in the Budapest parliament, can be interpreted as a revenge or a provocation.... [Full article]
