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In the broadest sense, social sciences encompass society, human behavior, and its influence on the world. Social sciences help understand how society works, ranging from the causes of unemployment, economic growth, what makes people happy, and so on. The information it provides is vital for governments and policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and local authorities.
Social Sciences and Law
Abstract
There is no definition of national, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities that is binding on states, which therefore have a wide margin of appreciation in deciding which communities to officially recognize. Since its adoption, the Hungarian law on national and ethnic minorities defined the concept and the scope of minorities and provided for the possibility of recognizing an ethnic group as a minority on the initiative of the community concerned.
Therefore, the major objective of the article is to focus on the debates in the Parliament and its committees in connection with the normative definition of the Bill on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities, the scope of national and ethnic minorities and the procedure for the recognition of a new minority in Hungary, using the example of the Jewish community.
The article also presents the normative regulations on the concept of national minorities, the scope of officially recognized communities and the recognition of minorities in Hungary after the adoption of the act in 1993.
Abstract
Relatively little is known about what is probably one of the most frequent, yet often dubious attempts in Post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe to expand the official list of minorities that have been made by non-recognised groups in Hungary since the early 2000s. Moreover, there had also been several unsuccessful attempts even before the adoption of the country's 1993 Minority Act. Therefore, the major aim of the research is, after outlining the main features of the historical and political background, to present and analyse the attempts which aimed at achieving minority recognition, especially those made after the adoption of the minority law. In doing so, it examines the conceptualisation tendencies, the notions and conditions that applicants must meet, and the operationalisation practices that prevailed. Overall, the Hungarian case illustrates well that not all minorities considered as existing socially - based on self-identifications and objective criteria - meet the substantive and procedural legal requirements of the law. In other cases, both the declared individual affiliations and the existence of a group and of separate objective elements of identity are still challenged and the subject of professional and political debates.
Abstract
Since 2018, the Constitutional Court of Hungary has decided several cases relating to symbolic speech and opinions expressed through actions (‘expressive conduct’). This paper attempts to review and critique these judgments in light of the relevant ECtHR jurisprudence. The scope of freedom of expression and the protection of speech are related but fundamentally different issues. Certain acts, even without constituting actual speech, are clearly protected by freedom of expression. The lines can be difficult to draw, and speech (expressive conduct) that is outside the scope is not covered by the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. However, where the speech or action is within the scope, the compatibility of the speech restriction applied with the protection of freedom of expression must still be examined. The paper argues that in some cases the conduct in question was unjustifiably excluded from the scope of freedom of expression by the Constitutional Court. Moreover, in the cases examined, the Court did not apply the appropriate fundamental rights tests, not even in cases where the exercise of freedom of expression was recognised.
Abstract
The study focuses on the intersection of public education and child protection. The school performance of children in the public education system is strongly influenced by the social environment from which they come to school. The starting point of the research is the legislative background. A comparative analysis of relevant sections of the Public Education Act and the Child Protection Act, examining their synchronization and the enforcement of children's rights, raises questions regarding the extent to which children's rights are upheld in the current legal environment. The historical legal approach of the study highlights that, despite regulatory changes affecting the field of child protection, coherence in terminology between public education and child protection has not been achieved. Children in child protection services, with foster parents, in children's homes, particularly those with special or dual needs, are in a multiply disadvantaged position compared to their peers living in families. Therefore, it is necessary and justified to provide services that, through interprofessional cooperation, can help improve their school performance and resilience. In Hungary, social assistance in kindergartens and schools has been a special social basic service since 2018. The aim of the study is also to draw attention to the current shortages related to specific child needs (e.g., the decreasing number of foster parents) and the possibilities of harmonizing these with child welfare basic services.
Abstract
With the convergence of digitalization and the growing imperative for bolstering security cooperation, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is poised to emerge as a virtual gate keeper of Europe. This prompts the question of whether this technology could supplant the traditional executive role held by Member State authorities within the EU. Through a comparison of the conventional administrative framework of the EU and the automated decision-making inherent in travel authorisation issuance via direct administration, fundamental shifts in administrative task execution come to light. This also underscores the need to refine procedural laws surrounding direct administration. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that the irreplaceable nature of Member States' administration remains intact, although further Europeanisation would be required.
Abstract
The Article focuses on the relevance of corporate governance in sustainable business conduct. First, it introduces the recent developments of European Union company law in the field of non-financial and sustainability reporting. Then the Article examines in detail how sustainability issues have been incorporated into the corporate governance codes of various EU Member States. As shareholder primacy viewpoint can be identified as a significant impediment to sustainable business, the Article highlights the more stakeholder-oriented approaches of corporate governance codes as favourable solutions. In its Conclusions the Article states that there is a significant progress in the examined codes regarding their emphasis on sustainability. It also summarizes the applied sustainability-related corporate governance standards and outlines a set of rules which may function as common best practice.
Αbstract
This study examines the challenges child protection efforts face in Greece within the broader context of European child welfare systems in the 21st century. Despite legislative mandates, Greece struggles with the effective implementation of child protection legislation and out-of-home placement of abused and neglected children. Drawing on the experience of the NGO “The Smile of The Child,” this study employs an empirical approach to examine Greece's national legislative framework, tools and implementation issues in children's rights and welfare, child protection systems and child and youth care systems. In Greece, the implementation of child protection legislation faces significant hurdles. Despite legislative mandates, the lack of services, trained personnel, gaps in national legal frameworks on trauma-informed practices and protocols during removal, and lack of support for adults who grew up in out-of-home care hinder effective protection measures. Findings reveal systemic barriers implementing child protection legislation, lack of established protocols, preventive practices and adequate education on the methods and legal basis of removal and foster care leading to systemic re-traumatisation of children. This study will attempt to create a timeline of child protection in Greece, starting from prevention to out-of-home care, reviews the legislative framework using data driven from the Center of Abuse and Exploitation of the Organization ‘The Smile of the Child’ including services such as helplines, school interventions, homecare social services, remedial services as well as annual reports. Ρrevention, removal, trauma management, deinstitutionalisation, fostering and adoption and a focus on improvements and good practices will be of extensive concern.
