Ethnopolitical risks of interaction between national minorities and kin-states ; ЕТНОПОЛІТИЧНІ РИЗИКИ У ВЗАЄМОДІЇ НАЦІОНАЛЬНИХ МЕНШИН І СПОРІДНЕНИХ ЇМ ДЕРЖАВ

Abstract

The article investigates the ethnopolitical risks that arise in the process of interaction between national minorities and kin-states. The existence of "kin-states" and "kin-minorities" is a consequence of the problem of the separation of peoples. It has been established that ethnopolitical risks are determined by such interconnected factors as the low status of minorities in the state of residence and the existence of the "Great Power" project, which stimulate a kin-state to implement the policy of irredentism.The risks have been analyzed for all the participants of irredentist conflict, namely for national minority, kin- state and polyethnic state. A national minority, as a result of the implementation of the policy of irredentism, can worsen its position by the increasing the oppression of the state in which it resides. The elite of both parts of the sep- arated nation can be uninterested in the union, since within the boundaries of one state the power struggle between them is potentially aggravated. For a polyethnic state, the greatest risk of irredentist policy, which is pursued by one of the countries in the region, is the threat of loss of part of the territory. According to the author, the political risks that are perceived by the participants often make it impossible to bring the irredentist conflict to the level of armed interstate confrontation and stimulate the search for other options to meet the needs of ethnic groups.The article analyzes the peculiarities of the interaction of Russian, Hungarian and Romanian national minorities living in Ukraine with kin-states. It is shown that the forms of their interaction are not always acceptable and legitimate: issuance of passports to "ethnic relatives", organization of rallies and manipulation of linguistic issues for the sake of activating irredentist sentiments. The author analyzes the reaction of Hungary and the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine to the "linguistic" article of the Law of Ukraine "On Education" (2017).The most optimal forms of interaction between kin-states and national minorities are determined. Some of them are reflected in the Bolzano/Bozen Recommendations (2008), including the expansion of cultural and educational opportunities for an individual in a kin-state; support for education and cultural organizations in the country of residence. Quite acceptable contacts can be implemented within the frame- work of cross-border cooperation. The signing of bilateral intergovernmental agreements can increase the level of protection of the rights of national minorities. The polyethnic state must conduct an effective ethnopolitics in order to form a national identity for minority representatives, which would be a priority in the individual's identification system. These recommendations are relevant to the Ukrainian authorities, which faces the negative consequences of the irredentist policy of the Russian Federation. ; У статті досліджено етнополітичні ризики, які виникають у процесі взаємодії національних меншин і споріднених держав. Доведено, що етнополітичні ризики зумовлені такими взаємопов'язаними чинниками, як низький статус меншини в державі проживання і існування проекту «Великої держави», які стимулюють споріднену державу до реалізації політики іредентизму. Проаналізовано ризики для всіх учасників іредентистського конфлікту: національної меншини, спорідненої держави, поліетнічної держави.