U svom prilogu autor najprije ukratko predstavlja neke karakteristike suvremene demokracije kako je definiraju različiti autori, te daje i neka polazišta i standarde zaštite nacionalnih manjina. U tom kontekstu autor navodi nekoliko koncepata, modela i mehanizama političkog predstavljanja nacionalnih manjina. Autorova hipoteza je da status i zaštitu nacionalnih manjina i njihovu političku participaciju valja urediti tako da na osnovi općih prihvaćenih standarda budu što prilagođeniji specifičnim potrebama i interesima pojedinih manjinskih zajednica. To znači da pojedina rješenja i modele nije moguće jednostavno i nekritički prenositi iz jednog okruženja u drugo i automatski ih primjenjivati u različitim situacijama, nego da prilikom oblikovanja i provedbe konkretnih rješenja treba uvijek voditi računa prije svega o situaciji, karakteristikama i potrebama pojedinog okruženja i pojedine zajednice te o njihovim interesima i zahtjevima.The author presents, in short, some of the characteristics of contemporary democracy as it is being defined by different authors, and also offers some questions and standards for national minorities protection. In this context, the author mentions several concepts, models and mechanisms for the representation of national minorities. The author\u27s hypothesis is based upon the fact that status and protection of national minorities, as well as their political participation must be regulated in such a way so that that they can be, on the basis of generally accepted standards, as adjusted as possible to the specific needs and interests of particular minorities communities. It means that some solutions and models can\u27t be easily and non critical transported from one sphere into another, or automatically adapted to different situations. It also means that during the creation and conduction of certain solutions, the situation, characteristics and needs of the particular surroundings and communities, as well as their interests and demands, must be taken into consideration
