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Divergent Trends in Legal Recognition of Religious Entities in Europe: The Cases of Slovenia and Hungary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2015

Miran Lavrič*
Affiliation:
University of Maribor
Sergej Flere*
Affiliation:
University of Maribor
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Miran Lavrič, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: [email protected]; or Sergej Flere, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: [email protected]
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Miran Lavrič, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: [email protected]; or Sergej Flere, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Religious dynamics in Europe, especially regarding religious pluralism, are largely affected by the characteristics of legal recognition of religious entities in individual countries. The implementation of the European Convention of Human Rights by the European Court of Human Rights clearly points to democratic pluralism as the essential principle in treating religious entities by the state. On the other hand, the situation in European countries is very complex and certain tendencies opposite to the European Convention of Human Rights directions, particularly in terms of privileging of traditional entities, are still deeply entrenched. Recent changes in Slovenia, where two essentially parody religions have been registered, and in Hungary, where registration and recognition of previously registered churches have been annulled, are considered. It is argued that the implementation of the liberal course set by the Council of Europe is (still) largely dependent on the political situation in individual countries.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2015 

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