The Challenge of Implementing Minority Rights in Central Eastern Europe

Abstract

The article examines problems of implementation of minority rights in Central Eastern Europe and explores the reasons for the implementation deficit in Estonia and Slovakia. Full implementation of minority rights norms is hampered by a combination of several factors. First, European Union conditionality was primarily focused only on the formal adoption of minority rights standards but not their proper application. Second, minority rights norms do not resonate successfully with domestically held norms. Third, minority rights norms are vaguely formulated and allow for arbitrary interpretations which complicate the application of these norms. A fourth factor examined, limitations in administrative capacities, did not play a significant role in Estonia or Slovakia.

Key Words:

• Minority rights
• implementation deficit
• Central Eastern Europe

Acknowledgements

The author expresses his thanks for comments on earlier drafts by Wolfram Kaiser, Ulrich Sedelmeier and Paul Flenley. He also gratefully acknowledges generous financial support from the UACES scholarship programme. My thanks also go to the anonymous reviewers.

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