Illiberális állampolgárság. A magyarországi politikai közösség kiterjesztésének hatása az erdélyi magyar szervezetek érdekérvényesítésére

Abstract

The dissertation introduces the concept of illiberal citizenship and its consequences in Transylvania. I argue that the intervention of the Hungarian government into the political scene in Transylvania decreased the claim-making strategies of four civil and political organizations (Hungarian National Council of Transylvania, Hungarian People’s Party of Transylvania, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania and the Eurotrans Foundation) that are involved in the implementation of citizenship policies. By conceptualizing the thesis relying on citizenship studies I demonstrate that the case study contradicts the assumptions, that the international acceptance and widespread of multiple citizenship results a more just and equal realization of membership within the political community. The Transylvanian case study shows a phenomenon which is a consequence of the Hungarian nation building strategy whereby Hungary has expanded its political community beyond the border with the extension of citizenship and voting rights. The case study demonstrates that kin-state engagement and ethnic mobilization can not only take place along the lines of ethnic parties’ and kin-state’s classical political spectrum, it can transform the civil and political organizations of the kin-minority resulting in a decrease of their claim-making potential. I demonstrate in the thesis that illiberalism was exported to Transylvania with the extension of the Hungarian political community. This has resulted in the fact that the organizations have become dependent on the Fidesz-KDNP government and have started to act as a representative of the Hungarian state rather than being the representative of the kin-minority. This was established by the introduction of the institution of illiberal citizenship, which is no longer merely a legal connection between the state and its citizens, it is realized through a continuously controlled relationship facilitated by the analyzed organizations. These civil and political actors are the ones who help members of the Hungarian minority community become Hungarian citizens, and this citizenship status is practiced with the help of these organizations. The Transylvanian case study demonstrates the illiberal vision of citizenship.