Hungarian Minority in Romania: Nationalists to Stage Demonstration on National Day
A nationalist leader has threatened to hold a demonstration in a city where an ethnic Hungarian group is planning to declare autonomy to celebrate Hungary's national day.
Corneliu Vadim Tudor, who heads the Greater Romanian Party, said Friday
he was angry at the lack of reaction from Romanian authorities to what he
said was an illegal move by the Szeklers, a small ethnic Hungarian group.
Tudor said he planned to call some 100,000 Greater Romania sympathizers to
the central city of Odorheiu Secuiesc, where the Szeklers said they planned
to declare territorial autonomy on March 15 - Hungary's national holiday.
Another member of the party, Gheorghe Funar, said his organization will not give up the demonstration without a guarantee form President Traian Basescu that the Szeklers will not pursue an "anti-Romanian action."
The Szeklers arrived in Transylvania in the 11th century. There are a few thousand Szeklers, who are allied with Romania's 1.4 million ethnic Hungarians.
On Friday, President Basescu met with Jeno Szasz, mayor of Ordorheiu Secuiesc, to discuss the situation of ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Szasz invited Basescu to Wednesday's demonstration, saying it would be peaceful, state news agency Rompres reported.
The head of the Hungarian Democratic Alliance, Marko Bela, welcomed Basescu's initiative to talk with Szasz and said he did not see any real danger in Szeklers' intention to hold a rally on March 15 in Odorheiu Secuiesc.
"If it's about acknowledging the wanted autonomy, very well. The Hungarian Democratic Alliance's program also includes provisions to obtain various forms of autonomy," Marko said.
The ethnic Hungarian party leader also underlined that, although he does not agree to the rally, "nobody is allowed to limit people's right to gather and express their opinion."
A former member of the Democratic Party, Lavinia Sandru, criticized Basescu over his handling of the situation and said the president should have been firmer with the Szeklers. She also said Basescu is trying to leave the impression that he is a patriot and will take care of things, but all this is just a show for his image.
Sandru also said that Basescu has no knowledge about what is going on in Transylvania and what the relations are between Hungarians and Romanians there.
In relation to the Szeklers' planned rally, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said the March 15 event will be one of the moments of free expression in Romania. However, he warned about the risks that Szeklers' declaration of autonomy may cross constitutional boundaries.
Underlining that the authorities are prepared to defend the law, Tariceanu expressed his hope that the Szeklers are mature enough to celebrate March 15 as it should be celebrated.
Relations between Romanians and ethnic Hungarians have improved in recent years.
Months after Romania's 1989 anti-communist revolt, six died during a riot between Romanians and ethnic Hungarians in March 1990 in the northwest city of Targu Mures.
Hungarians celebrate on March 15 the anniversary of the 1848 revolution and the war of independence against Habsburg rule.
Transylvania, a territory that has changed hands several times
in history, and has been part of Romania since World War I, now is inhabited
by more than 6 million Romanians and 1.4 million ethnic Hungarians.
