Setting aside the views of extremist parties, a national consensus now prevails on the issue of dual citizenship, and Hungarians beyond the borders who have become naturalised are part of the Hungarian nation in terms of public law, the leader of the ruling Fidesz party‘s parliamentary group said on Sunday.
Commenting on the millionth ethnic Hungarian to take up citizenship in a ceremony on Saturday, Gergely Gulyás told a news conference that naturalisation had brought about a public bond between the parts of the Hungarian nation that had become separated from the motherland and the Hungarian state.
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No longer is the validity of extending dual citizenship debated, even by those who had campaigned against the move in the December 2004 referendum, he said. “It is clear that nothing said at the time to alarm people has actually come to pass,” he added.
“National unity on the issue is to be welcomed and preserved,”
Gulyás said, recalling that the 2010 amendment to the citizenship law enabled Hungarians living beyond the borders to apply for citizenship. He further noted that the new constitution adopted in 2011 states that Hungary is responsible for cross-border Hungarian communities.
On the subject of autonomy promoted by the Hungarian government, the Fidesz group leader said Hungary does not ask for any more in respect of its national minority communities living beyond the borders than that guaranteed by the Hungarian constitution for national minorities living in Hungary.
In response to a question, Gulyás said it was highly likely that cross-border Hungarians would be given two votes in next year’s general election.
According to current law,
ethnic Hungarians have the right to vote for a national list but not for a candidate of an individual constituency.
Gulyás also said Fidesz would aim to collect more than half a million signatures in support of the Minority SafePack European Citizenship Initiative for Minorities.
Altogether 1 million signatures are needed Europe-wide for the initiative to go ahead.
Photo: MTI