The aim of the paper is to open a discussion of nation and ‘nation policy’ from a new angle and provocatively ask, whether the Hungarian recent policy in fact encourages separatism in the area. In general, three kinds of separatism will be recognized here: aims to separate from the euro, from the EU and finally from a particular state. Although separatism is not a topic in Hungarian official discourse, now the new constitution identifies a ‘unified Hungarian nation’ – in fact beyond borders, as well. Moreover, the present government has aimed to increase its influence in the Carpathian Basin by supporting particular party fractions in neighbouring countries, as has unilaterally guaranteed dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians. The paper concentrates on the period after the EU accession, culminating in the new constitution, and new electoral legislation. The author argues that in addition to nostalgia and prejudices the Hungarian ‘nation policy’ has revealed criticism in nation building and strengthened confrontation inside the EU. Empirically the approach analyses Hungarian newspapers, programs of ethnic parties in Romania, Slovakia and Serbia, as actions and statements of Hungarian parties, including the extreme Jobbik’s and its ‘national radical’ views. The methodology is based on ideas of conceptual history, and political rhetoric, which thus, understands concepts, like ‘nation’, and ‘nation policy’, contested tools in political debate of identities and identification.
