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Leonas Tolvaišis POLITICAL PARTIES and ETHNIC

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Leonas Tolvaišis POLITICAL PARTIES and ETHNIC VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY Leonas Tolvaišis POLITICAL PARTIES AND ETHNIC MINORITY POLICIES, 1991-2011: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SERBIA'S HUNGARIANS AND ESTONIA'S RUSSIANS Doctoral dissertation Social science, political science (02S) Kaunas 2012 UDK 323.15 To-69 The dissertation was prepared at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, Vytautas Magnus University, 2012. Academic Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Stefano Bianchini (University of Bologna, social sciences, political sciences, 02S). ISBN 978-9955-12-766-6 Acknowledgements I am indebted to my first academic supervisor, Professor Algimantas Prazauskas, whose lectures and expertise motivated me to specialize in ethnopolitics. I am also grateful to my PhD supervisor Professor Stefano Bianchini for providing me with unique opportunities for professional engagement in the area of Balkan studies and field research in the Balkans. Special thanks to coordinators of receiving institutions and experts on minority issues for their help during my internship periods in the countries covered by the present research: Estonia – Professor Vello Pettai, Faculty of Government and Politics, University of Tartu; Kristina Kallas, Institute of Baltic Studies, Tallinn; Serbia – Professor Fuada Stanković, Centre for Advanced European Studies and Research, University of Novi Sad; Dr. Zsolt Lázár, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad. I would also like to thank the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy of Vytautas Magnus University, particularly Professor Ineta Dabašinskienė, Dr. Andžej Pukšto and Inga Černiauskaitė for their generous support and cooperation in enabling the present research to be conducted abroad. In addition, I thank all interviewed respondents and experts that agreed to participate in the present research, and Professor Carolyn Kadas for fast English language assistance. 3 CONTENTS CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 4 List of abbreviations................................................................................................................................ 6 List of tables ............................................................................................................................................ 8 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 9 Research problem and relevance............................................................................................................. 9 Objective, research questions and tasks ................................................................................................ 14 Research novelty and relevance ............................................................................................................ 15 Research theses...................................................................................................................................... 16 Methods................................................................................................................................................. 16 Structure ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Literature overview ............................................................................................................................... 18 1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK......................................................................................................... 26 1. 1. Political parties and public policy shaping.................................................................................... 26 1.2. Party policy inertia and resistance to change.................................................................................. 40 1.3. Party policy change ........................................................................................................................ 49 1.4. Historical institutionalism as an explanatory framework ............................................................... 58 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 61 3. THE CASE STUDY OF SERBIA’S HUNGARIANS.......................................................................... 67 3.1. Ethnic cleavage in the Serbian party system .................................................................................. 67 3.1.1. Stances on ethnic minority policies in Serbian political parties’ programs............................. 67 3.1.2. The intra-party structure of ethnic minority policy formulation ............................................. 83 3.1.3. The ethnic aspect of parties’ ideational dimension ................................................................. 89 3.2. Political parties and ethnic minority policies in Serbia ................................................................ 107 3.2.1. Critical junctural moments for ethnic minority policies at the outset of Serbia’s multi-party system.............................................................................................................................................. 107 3.2.2. Political parties and the regional legal framework of minority rights protection in Vojvodina ......................................................................................................................................................... 116 3.2.3. Political parties and Hungarian cultural autonomy in Serbia ................................................ 132 4. THE CASE STUDY OF ESTONIA’S RUSSIANS............................................................................ 138 4.1. Ethnic cleavage in the Estonian party system .............................................................................. 138 4.1.1. Stances on ethnic minority policies in Estonian political parties’ programs......................... 138 4.1.2. The intra-party structure of minority policy formulation ...................................................... 147 4.1.3. The ethnic aspect of the parties’ ideational dimension.......................................................... 155 4.2. Political parties and ethnic minority policies in Estonia .............................................................. 163 4 4.2.1. Critical junctural moments for ethnic minority policies at the outset of Estonia’s multi-party system.............................................................................................................................................. 163 4.2.2. Political parties and citizenship policies in Estonia............................................................... 166 4.2.3. Political parties and language policies in Estonia ................................................................. 179 4.2.4. Political parties and education policies in Estonia ................................................................ 186 4.2.5. Political parties and state integration policies in Estonia ...................................................... 190 4.2.6. Political parties and Russian cultural autonomy in Estonia................................................... 200 CONCLUSIONS..................................................................................................................................... 205 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................... 210 APPENDICES......................................................................................................................................... 227 Appendix 1. List of the persons interviewed....................................................................................... 227 Appendix 2. Structure of the semi-structured interview questionnaire ............................................... 229 5 List of abbreviations CPE – Communist Party of Estonia DS (Serb. Demokratska Stranka) – Democratic Party (Serbia) DSS (Serb. Demokratska Stranka Srbije) – Democratic Party of Serbia G17+ – G17 Plus (political party, Serbia) GSS (Serb. Građanski Savez Srbije) – Civic Alliance of Serbia DOS (Serb. Demokratska Opozicija Srbije) – Democratic Opposition of Serbia EEE (Est. Eesti Ettevõtjate Erakond) – Estonian Entrepreneurs’ Party EER (Est. Erakond Estimaa Rohelised) – Estonian Green Party EKE (Est. Eesti Koonderakond) – Estonian Coalition Party EKRE (Est. Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond) – Estonian Conservative Party ELDP (Est. Eesti Liberaaldemokraatlik Partei) – Estonian Liberal Democratic Party EME (Est. Eesti Maarahva Erakond) – Estonian People’s Union EML (Est. Estimaa Maaliit) – Estonian Country Union ERL (Est. Eestimaa Rahvaliit) – People’s Union of Estonia ERR (Est. Estimaa Rahvarinne) – Popular Front of Estonia ERSP (Est. Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei) – Estonian National Independence Party EVP (Est. Eesti Vasakpartei) – Estonian Left Party EU – European Union HK – Hungarian Coalition ICTY – International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia IRL (Est. Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit) – Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (political party, Estonia) JUL (Serb. Jugoslovenska Ujedinjena Levica) – Yugoslav United Left KE (Est. Eesti Keskerakond) – Estonian Centre Party LCS – League of Communists of Serbia LCY – League of Communists of Yugoslavia LDP (Serb.
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