Status Law

[Irena]

Oh, they have swooped on... Carrion-crows...
Let's a boy have his say!
Well, ISH, I understood that Hungarians who live as minorities in the neighbouring countries will have special rights on this Law by comparison with others citizens of Ukraine. Am I right?
If yes what are these special rights?

[ISH]

Thanks Irena for permission
Yes you understood well the main concept of the Status Law. I guess you want to know more about it, so I'll be a little bit more specific. ( I am not going to go crazy with it though )
The purpose of the Law is to help the Hungarian minorities living in the neighbouring countries keeping their national identity, and increasing their spiritual and economical well-being. The Law is meant to encourage the members of those minorities not to leave the countries they currently live in and to strengthen the political and economical stability between Hungary and its environment. It is also meant to help the Euro-Integration of the Central-Eastern European countries. ( That need to be said before the preferences )
1) The law would help to make it easier to get seasonal jobs in Hungary for ethnic Hungarians ( "Seasonal" is meant to be seasonal, encouraging the "staying home" )
2) Preferences would be given to ethnic Hungarians in the cost of medical examinations and medical treatments.
3) Ethnic Hungarians would be allowed to take advantage of social and educational services in Hungary.
(For example pensioners in Hungary get 90% deduction on the price of public transit. Ethnic Hungarian pensioners would get the same. University education for Hungarian citizens is free in Hungary. The law would make it free for ethnic Hungarians as well.)
sincerely : ISH
p.s.: What do you think? If you have any more questions I would love to answer them as correctly as I can.

[Irena]

While I don't see anything bad. But what special rights in Ukraine are got by the Hungarian minorities?
You know we have special rooms for Jews in hospitals and I don't like this.

Secondly, this programe is called to relocate
Hungarian in Hungary, isn't it?

[ISH]

Dear Irena,
I am glad that you confirm that there is nothing wrong with that Law. Now, about the rights of Hungarians in the Ukraine as a minority.
We, Hungarians have the right to have our own schools where the subjects are taught in Hungarian. We have a couple of Elementary and High Schools,(As far as I know most of them are financed by the State, except for three High Schools operated by the Hungarian Christian Reformed Church and one operated by . . . I am not sure who) some departments in the State University of Uzhgorod/UngvАr and a Teacher College in Beregovo/BeregszАsz.
We have the right to use our language in public, but not in administration.
We can have our own street signs besides the Ukrainian ones.
We have the right to keep our own cultural and political organizations. ( The most important one, that represents the Hungarian minority in political issues is the KMKSZ )
Well I could have quoted some very official and smart-sounding original "pieces of law",but I don't think it is necessary, and I don't feel like researching for the original documents. I hope it's still allright with you.
So summa summarum, we have pretty good rights, in theory. There is a problem with acting them out. The system does not function very well with actually guaranteeing these rights. There is an issue about getting a kind of territorial autonomy for Hungarians ( "kind of, because it would not be a real autonomy, just a new "rayon" built up by cities and villages,where 50% or more of the inhabitants are Hungarian) where all those excellent rights could become reality. I think that would work. I mean that would be a good idea. What do you think?
Sorry, but I don't quite understand what you meant by "relocating" Hungarians in Hungary. Can you explain a bit more? If you meant that at last Hungarians are recognized in Hungary as Hungarians, not as foreigners, then, yes this is one of the main purposes of the Law.
sincerely: ISH

[ISH]

Dear JetSet,
Legally binding? Well it depends. The law is not valid in the territory of the Ukraine, but on the other part it involves Ukrainan citizens. There are going to be negotiations between Hungary and her neighbouring countries about this law. Is such a Law a legal procedure? Well, there are similar Laws operating in Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia and Portugal for their ethnic minorities, so I guess such thing is not against international law, and it worked out in those countries pretty well, so far.
Yes, you interpreted it correctly, ethnic Hungarians from the Carpathian Basin, who lost their Hungarian citizenship because of border changes, not because they moved out from Hungary, will recieve preferences opposed to any foreign citizens who enter the territory of Hungary. It true for hospitalization as well. Yes you are correct.
sincerely: ISH

[ISH]

Hey,
Where is JetSet's post?

[Irena]

Originally posted by ISH
There is an issue about getting a kind of territorial autonomy for Hungarians ( "kind of, because it would not be a real autonomy, just a new "rayon" built up by cities and villages,where 50% or more of the inhabitants are Hungarian) where all those excellent rights could become reality. I think that would work. I mean that would be a good idea. What do you think?

I think ISH that it's a good idea but it can't work at the present. Think about the rest habitants: their rights will be pinched. But they lives on their own native land!
It may arouse enmity between Ukrainian and Hungarians.
Think about it. Special rights for one person arouse ill-will of another person.
I believe that you should save your culture, language, customs but don't forget that you live berween Ukrainians.
Specail rights in Hungaria is another matter. How much you want! But special rights for Hungarian in Ukraine... Look out! Others countries are not examples.
Others countries are others countries.