Hungarian Autonomy in Transcarpathia: Current Realities

Abstract

The features of the current state of politicization of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine are analyzed. The author considers the current state of politicization of the Hungarians of Transcarpathia. The Hungarian national minority has been living in Ukraine for over a thousand years (mainly in Transcarpathia). As a result of transboundary location of the Transcarpathian region and the presence of a compactly-situated Hungarian national minority, Hungary pursues an active and systematic policy of supporting the Hungarians. It is emphasized that the protection of its minority Hungary promotes not only in Ukraine, but also in Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Croatia, in the context of the idea of “revival of Hungary”. The features of the autonomous aspirations of Transcarpathia, in general, and of the Hungarian minority in particular, are revealed. It is marked the important influence of the economic condition of the region on the activation of autonomous tendencies. The author emphasizes the exceptional importance of the issue of dual citizenship of the Hungarian national minority in the territory of Ukraine for strengthening the “centrifugal” tendencies in the region. The topic of dual citizenship, which is being updated by Hungary today, has become a problematic issue not only for Ukraine. All Hungary's neighbors, who also have a Hungarian minority, have faced this difficult challenge. The Hungarian movement in Transcarpathia should be considered in line with the policy of official Hungary in the Carpathian region. The concept of state formation of the modern political elite of Hungary is based on the idea of a nation-state. Other circumstances and factors that have a substantial impact on the politicization of the Hungarian national minority, the development of discourse on a different vision of the political future of the region are analyzed.