Minorities – introduction to a broad field Martin Klatt, PhD. Dept. of Border Region Studies, Sønderborg

Minorities – what’s that?  Different!  Numerical  Power relation  Social integration  Gender  Sexual orientation  ……

Why important?  Differentiation  Discrimination  Human rights  Social cohesion

National, ethnic, ….?  Terms can be diffuse – discuss!  Discuss why they exist at all!  French approach  US approach

National minorities in Europe

Criterias for national minorities  Common origin, different from the majority  Common language, different from the majority  Myths about a common heritage, different from the majority  Different race  Different religion  Different culture  Feeling of belonging to a certain territory  Subjective self-identification, common identity

A typology  Minorities with one kin-state  Minorities with several kin-states  Minorities without a kin-state  Transnational minorities with/without a kin-state  Minorities as local/regional majority  Sub-state nations  Borderland-minorities with neighboring kin-state

Minorities and the nation state  National minorities are in conflict with the ideal of the culturally and ethnically homogeneous nation state (even though the latter does not exist)  Revisionism – fears of secession  Visibility – visible minorities (appearance, symbols) illustrate the imperfectness of the national ideal  Otherness  Financial issues

European development  Minorities become part of the 1. World War peace settlements, ”Right of National Self-Determination”  Interwar years: minorities as a cause for irredenta and revisionism of the peace settlement (Sudeten-crisis, Schleswig, South Tyrol)  But also: issues as cultural autonomy tested and implemented (i.e. Estonia, North Schleswig)

Post WW II  Human rights development  European Convention on Human Rights (Council of Europe, 1950)  UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)  Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities  EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Nice 2000)  The Cold War  Germany and Denmark as allies  CEE minorities integrated into Communist society (at least officially)  European integration  More open border  Border revision becomes outdated

Minority conflicts in Europe  Balkans  Hungary-Romania (Hungarians abroad in general)  Ireland  Basques, Catalans, Scots, Kurds (Sub-state nations)  Georgia, Caucasus  Latvia and Estonia  Sinti and Roma

Issues -Border revisionism – secession -Social exclusion -Historical grievances, memories and traumas

Minorities in European integration  Direct context: Copenhagen criteria, Charter of Fundamental Rights  Indirect context  More open borders  “Europe of Regions” offers new opportunities for substate nations  Bi- and tri-linguality can be an asset in a common market  ‘Blurred’ minorities  The use of violence to achieve secession has become unfashionable (Ireland, Basque)  Last not least: economic growth can lead to social inclusion