Territorial Autonomies in Europe: Solutions and Challenges
International Conference organized by the Research Institute for Hungarian Communities Abroad
8-9th April, 2013
H-1014 Budapest, Szentháromság tér 6.
Program (April 8)
Venue: Corvin Hall
10:00 Registration
11:00 – 11:10 Welcoming speech
- Zoltán KÁNTOR, Director of the Research Institute for Hungarian Communities Abroad
11:10 – 11:25 Opening address
- Zsolt SEMJÉN, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary
11:25 – 12:40 Keynote speakers (Moderator: Zoltán KÁNTOR)
- Andreas GROSS, MP (National Council of Switzerland) and Member of PACE (Switzerland):
"Autonomy as Part of the Democratisation Process"
- Markku SUKSI, Professor of Public Law, Åbo Akademi (Finland):
"Territorial Autonomy: the Åland Islands in Comparison with Other Sub-State Entities"
- David SMITH, Professor of Baltic History and Politics, University of Glasgow (UK) and Visiting Researcher at UCRS, Uppsala University (Sweden)
“Territorial and Non-Territorial Autonomy: Theoretical Perspectives and Issues”
12:40 – 13:00 Questions
13:00 – 13:40 Lunch
13:40 – 15:20 Panel Meeting (Moderator: Norbert TÓTH, Researcher, Research Institute for Hungarian Communities Abroad)
- András JAKAB, Schumpeter Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg; Director of the Institute for Legal Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Social Sciences (Hungary): “Constitutional Visions of the Nation”
- Günther RAUTZ, Senior Researcher, European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (Italy):
“South Tyrolean Autonomy as a Model for Coexistence between Ethnic Groups”
- Sabrina RAGONE, Researcher, Centre of Constitutional and Political Sciences (Spain): “Catalonia‟s Recent Strive for Independence: a Legal Approach”
- Tamás KORHECZ, President of the Hungarian National Council (Serbia):
“Non-territorial autonomy in practice: the Hungarian National Council in Serbia”
15:20 – 15:50 Questions, debate
15:50 – 16:00 Closing remarks
- Zsuzsanna RÉPÁS, Deputy Secretary of State for Hungarian Communities Abroad
Program (April 9)
Venue: Deák Hall
Workshop with experts of the question of autonomy within three panels in a row (Each panel commences with one or two lectures followed by a debate)
Panelists: The participants of April 8 (Andreas Gross; Markku Suksi; David Smith; Günther Rautz; Sabrina Ragone; Tamás Korhecz; András Jakab) and other experts (Vajk Farkas, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Századvég Foundation; Andrew Ludanyi, University of Ohio, Research Institute for Hungarian Communities Abroad; Zoltán Kántor; Norbert Tóth)
Panel No. 1.
9:00 – 10:10 Autonomy is (Almost) at Hand – Theoretical and Practical Questions
- Levente SALAT, Professor of Political Science, Babes-Bolyai University (Romania): „The Chances of Ethnic Autonomy in Romania - Between Theory and Practice‟
10:10 –10:25 Coffee break
Panel No. 2.
10:25 – 11:35 Paths and Ways Towards Autonomy
- Viktória FERENC, Researcher of the Research Institute for Hungarian Communities Abroad (Hungary): “Autonomy Ambitions in Transcarpathia”
- Géza TOKÁR, political scientist, spokesperson, journalist, Roundtable of the Hungarians living in Slovakia (Slovakia): “Autonomy in Slovakia - Challenges and Problems”
11:35 – 11:50 Coffee break
Panel No. 3.
11:50 – 13:00 Devolution of Powers – To what Extent?
- Balázs VIZI, Professor of Public International Law, National University of Public Service (Hungary): “Devolution Processes in Europe and Minority Claims for Self-government”
13:00 Closing remarks
The language of the conference is English, Hungarian interpretation will be provided on the first day.
Registration: npki@bgazrt.hu