April 28, 2000

The National Architectural Supervisory Bureau (NASB) fined Cluj/Kolozsvár Mayor Gheorghe Funar for failing to allow official supervisors to verify demolition permits that authorized destruction in a historic district of the city. Funar has appealed the decision that meted out a 7 million Lei ($350) fine. NASB officials determined that the demolition permits were illegal because they contained unauthorized signatures. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Apr. 28, 2000]

April 26, 2000

Enumerating the most important legislative goals of his party, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) President Béla Markó listed finalizing amendments to the Law on Public Administration and adopting a bill on the restitution of confiscated properties. Both acts are equally important for ethnic Rumanians and ethnic Hungarians alike, emphasized Markó. In an interview with the Hungarian language daily Romániai Magyar Szó, Markó also stated that the issue of confiscated religious artifacts could also be resolved by adopting a law: "These were not in fact nationalized, rather they were simply carted off to various museums, and have never been returned." Regarding the status of the return of illegally confiscated church properties from the historic Hungarian churches, Markó concluded that "it is our task in the government to return more properties to the churches by means of another urgent government decree." [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Apr. 26, 2000]

April 19, 2000

The Cluj/Kolozs county branch of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) nominated Minister for Minority Affairs Péter Eckstein-Kovács for the post of Cluj/Kolozsvár mayor. A total of 14 candidates are now running for the post, including this latest ethnic Hungarian nominee. For DAHR, the most important objective of the race is to remove ultra-nationalist Mayor Gheorghe Funar from the post. Meanwhile, a recent poll showed that 70.6 percent of ethnic Hungarians would vote for a DAHR candidate. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Apr. 22 and Apr. 26, 2000]

April 18, 2000

László Tõkés, Honorary President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania and Bishop of the Királyhágómelléki Bishopric of the Hungarian Reformed Church, commented on failure to reestablish the independent Hungarian-language Bolyai University, which was forcibly merged with the Rumanian-language Babes University by Nicolae Ceasusecu in 1959. Tõkés pointed out that state authorities lack the willingness to return to their rightful owners 1,600 buildings confiscated from the historic Hungarian churches under communism because "[i]n doing so, they would be admitting that they [also] took away the Hungarian-language university in Cluj/Kolozsvár." [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Apr. 19, 2000]

In an ecumenical letter to the historic ethnic Hungarian churches, the Sapientia Foundation requested that all church donations collected on June 11, 2000 be given to the Foundation. Established in January 2000, the Sapientia Foundation is the organization entrusted with preparing the groundwork for the private Partium Christian University to be headquartered in Cluj/Kolozsvár. [See reports of January 13 and February 4] [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Apr. 19, 2000]

April 17, 2000

The ethnic Csángó Hungarian minority in the Bacau/Bákó region face ongoing psychological pressure and threats, stated Antal Csicsó, President of the Alliance of Csángó Hungarians in Moldavia. "It is not our organization or my person in particular who are the targets of these verbal attacks, rather our entire movement and its efforts suffers from such confrontations," pointed out Csicsó. Rhetoric on the part of Rumanian ultra-nationalists trigger these verbal attacks, emphasized Csicsó, some as extreme as threatening " war against ethnic Hungarians if their native-language education is reintroduced." Signatures have been gathered on anti-Hungarian petitions in major Csángó Hungarians localities such as Pustiana/Pusztina, Lespezi/Lészped and Cleja/Klézse, which are overwhelmingly ethnic Rumanian-inhabited. These have asserted that "we are Rumanians, we don't want Hungarian-language education and reject the advance of Hungarian nationalism into the Moldavian region." Continuously decreasing in number, the Csángós, a culturally distinct and centuries-old ethnic Hungarian community, have lacked any form of native-language education for decades. Devout Roman Catholics, the church hierarchy has vigorously opposed Hungarian-language mass for the community. Most recently, reported Csicsó, a delegation from the Iasi bishop's office asked worshipers in a Cleja church to sign a petition saying "we're Rumanian, we don't need Hungarian-language masses." [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Apr. 18, 2000]

April 13, 2000

A recent poll showed that the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR), a member of the governing coalition, has gained in popularity. Whereas last year, only 48.3 percent of ethnic Hungarians would have voted for DAHR, if the elections were held today, over 85 percent of those polled would support the only ethnic Hungarian political party. An overwhelming majority of DAHR supporters (75.4 percent) would like to see the Alliance mount a presidential candidate. According to 51.9 percent, DAHR Senator György Frunda should run again for president, while 45.6 percent would endorse DAHR President Béla Markó in the race. [Népszabadság (Budapest), Apr. 13, 2000]

April 12, 2000

In an interview with the Hungarian-language daily Szabadság, the ethnic Hungarian Deputy Rector of the Babes-Bolyai University, Zoltán Kása, commented on recent developments in establishing the Petõfi-Schiller Hungarian and German Language University. Asked if a future university would influence the establishment of the Hungarian-language division at the Babes-Bolyai University, Kása pointed out that "these are two different institutions, thus, it would not influence us. The Petõfi-Schiller University could be established by a government decree and have different departments than us." József Kötõ, State Secretary in the Ministry of Education commented that "in planning the structure of the [Petõfi-Schiller Hungarian and German language] university, we have targeted those fields of study, which currently cannot be studied in Hungarian," namely, law, economics, technical sciences and horticulture. Kötõ suggested that the headquarters of this new institution of higher education be in Cluj/Kolozsvár with a branch in Targu Mures/Marosvásárhely. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Apr. 13, 2000]

April 7, 2000

Unknown vandals removed the Hungarian coat of arms and the bilingual inscription from the Consulate General of the Republic of Hungary in Cluj/Kolozsvár, Consul László Alföldi disclosed. The main gate to the consulate was also vandalized. The shield was subsequently found inside the building and returned to its original place. Alföldi referred to the incident as "provocative," adding that the police advised the consulate to request police surveillance of the building. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) Apr. 8, 2000]

April 7, 2000

The Supreme Court ruled that former Cluj/Kolozs County Prefect Vasile Salcudeanu's January 25^th suspension of Cluj/Kolozsvár Mayor Gheorghe Funar was illegal. The Prefect had turned to the highest judicial body after the ultra-nationalist mayor continued to function in his post despite the suspension order. Thus, the mayor whose actions include numerous anti-Hungarian provocations and measures throughout the years will continue to remain in his post. [See reports of January 24 January 26, February 3 and February 24.] [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) Apr. 7, 2000]

April 6, 2000

Legal charges against Greater Rumania Party President Corneliu Vadim Tudor have been dropped in a libel suit, the Hungarian-language Szabadság daily reported. However, following a court order, Tudor is required to pay 200 million Lei ($10,500) by way of compensation to journalist Rodica Chelaru. Over the years, Tudor has generated legal fines amounting to 500 million Lei ($26,000) following numerous cases of defamation charges filed against him by public figures, including Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica and the President's son, Dragos Constantinescu. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) Apr. 6, 2000]

Following months of dispute and debate, the Supreme Court found for the government in the case of establishing the Petõfi-Schiller Hungarian and German Language University. This final ruling means that a previous attempt by two opposition parties to stop the creation of this institution has ended unsuccessfully. Consequently, the government decree issued in September 1998 calling for the establishment of the university remains valid. Attila Markó, Legislative Director of the Office for the Protection of National Minorities, disclosed that the government decree is merely of a technical nature: specific legislation is still needed to in fact establish the institution. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Apr. 5, 2000]

Newly appointed Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) Vice President for Education and Religious Affairs Gyula Szép proposed modification of the draft government decree prepared by the Government Office for Religious Affairs. According to the document, the four historic Hungarian churches (Roman Catholic, Hungarian Reformed, Lutheran and Unitarian) would each regain only ten pieces of property confiscated under communism. Both DAHR and the Hungarian churches pointed out that a total of 1,593 buildings stand to be returned and the government decree under consideration does not address the issue of further restitution. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Apr. 4, 2000]

Pál Péter, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) Vice President, evaluated an international economic seminar the Alliance organized on March 31 in Cluj/Kolozsvár. Conference participants grappled with the economic strategy of the country. "The current mid-term economic development strategy, supported by both the opposition and the government parties is a novelty," Péter said adding that such a consensus could result in attracting foreign investors who are still, however, concerned about corruption, bureaucracy and the lack of infrastructure in Rumania. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Apr. 5, 2000]

April 3, 2000

With the June local elections on the horizon, leaders of the four-member governing coalition discussed amendments necessary to the election law. One of the ruling coalition-members, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) would decrease the number of local council members by 10 percent, as opposed to 20 percent, as proposed by two other members of the coalition. Although both the governing coalition and the opposition parties agree that such a reduction is necessary, a smaller decrease is necessary to ensure continuous ethnic Hungarian representation in those localities where their numbers are less. The election campaign is scheduled to begin on April 20, 2000. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Apr. 4, 2000]