Hungary has been pressured by members of the European Parliament to abolish its new citizenship law which increases the rights of the Hungarian minorities abroad.

According to the new law, citizens of bordering nations can apply for and receive a Hungarian passport, if they can prove they are Hungarian descendants.

Thus, Hungarian passports began to be issued on Monday to some of the up to 2.5 million ethnic Hungarians abroad.

In Romania, there are about 1.5 Million ethnic Hungarians, in Slovakia - more than 500,000, in Serbia (Vojvodina) - 300,000, in the Ukraine - 160,000, in Austria - 45,000 and in Croatia and Slovenia - some 15,000 each. They can theoretically all vote in Hungary's elections.

Members of the European Peoples' Party, the largest parliamentary group in the EP, have reportedly demanded that Hungary should reconsider the law as they state it equals a non-recognition of thew borders. Fidesz, Hungary's currently ruling party, is also a member of EPP.

Recently, Hungary's new media law was widely condemned by the European member states and institutions as undemocratic.

On January 1 2011, Hungary took over the Presidency of the EU.

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