"A fair price of admission? Minority policies in and out of the EU"

Johns, Michael. (2003) "A fair price of admission? Minority policies in and out of the EU". In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2003 (8th), March 27-29, 2003, pages 17, Nashville, TN.

Abstract

This paper tests the assumption that the European Union has forced potential new members to adhere to standards current member states do not meet in regards to the treatment of national minorities. The paper examines the treatment of the Russian minorities in Latvia and Estonia and the Roma population in Slovakia compared to the treatment of the Turks in Germany and the Roma in Italy. Using EU accession reports, OSCE recommendations, and the Minorities at Risk (MAR) dataset a double standard becomes apparent. The newly democratized states of Eastern Europe are being forced to choose between the economic advantages of membership in the EU and legislation designed to protect the language and culture of the majority group. The paper concludes with an examination of the histories of Estonia and Latvia to illustrate why being forced into altering laws concerning culture and citizenship is so difficult.