SMK chairman submits request for Hungarian citizenship

The chairman of the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), József Berényi, filed a request for Hungarian citizenship on Monday, January 3, the TASR newswire reported. The SMK is one of Slovakia’s main Hungarian parties, although it is not represented in the current parliament.

The chairman of the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), József Berényi, filed a request for Hungarian citizenship on Monday, January 3, the TASR newswire reported. The SMK is one of Slovakia’s main Hungarian parties, although it is not represented in the current parliament.

Hungary last year passed a law allowing citizens of neighbouring countries, including Slovakia, to apply for Hungarian citizenship. This led to a deterioration in already poor relations with Bratislava. Slovakia has a large Hungarian-speaking minority, accounting for around ten percent of the overall population.

“On Monday, I went to the Hungarian embassy in Bratislava because, as I previously announced, I want to have dual citizenship,” he told TASR. Berényi added that he’s unruffled by the threat of losing his Slovak citizenship because the current governing coalition has promised to amend the legislation under which this could happen.

According to the Slovak Dual Citizenship Act, as approved under the former government, a Slovak citizen seeking the citizenship of another country will forfeit their Slovak one. He added that the Hungarian authorities will need three or four months to process his application, which will provide enough time for the Slovak parliament to okay legislation that will enable him to hold the citizenship of two countries at once.

Source: TASR

Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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