May 30, 1997

The following statistics have been made public regarding the number of places that will be available for ethnic Hungarian students at the Babes-Bolyai University beginning in Fall 1997: 50 each at the Departments of Mathematics, Hungarian Language and Literature, Rumanian and/or Foreign Languages, and Comparative Hungarian Folklore; 30 at the Faculty of Law; 25 each at the Departments of Physics, Computer Sciences, and Physical Education and Sports; 15 at the Department of Biology; 20 each in Chemistry-Physics, Philosophy-Geography-History, 10 each Mathematics-Physics,, Biology-Chemistry, Geography-Geology, Journalism, Education, Physical Therapy, and Sociology; 8 at the Department of Dramatic Arts and 5 in Art History. [Duna Television (Budapest), May 30-June 1,1997]

According to figures published by the Neue Zurcher Zeitung, there are currently 22,000 students enrolled at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár, of whom 18 percent are ethnic Hungarian. Since only 13,000 ethnic Hungarians are enrolled altogether in institutions of higher education in Rumania, this number is 3,000-4,000 less than the proportion of Hungarians in the population would warrant. Moreover, of this number, three-quarters of all ethnic Hungarian students study in Rumanian-language at the university level. [Neue Zurcher Zeitung, May 30,1997]

May 29, 1997

A government decree amending the Law on Local Self-Government went into effect applying to about half thousand communities where minorities constitute over 20 percent of the local population. In these communities, the decree allows local self-governments (1) to post minority-language place name signs (2) issue minority-language public notices, and (3) use native language during town council meetings if requested by one-third of the participants. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), May 30,1997; Népszabadság (Budapest), May 30,1997]

May 26, 1997

The government issued a decree, which consists of new provisions affecting local self-governments. The decree adopted, among others, the right to use minority language for conducting business in the public institutions of those communities where a specific minority makes up at least 20 percent of the population. [Népszabadság (Budapest), May 26, 1997]

May 21, 1997

In a press release issued today, Bishop László Tôkés expressed disappointment with the government’s proposed amendments to the Education Law, saying that they fall short of the call for educational autonomy expressed in a 1995 Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania petition, which bore more than half a million signatures. He adding that to renounce this goal is to accept concessions, instead of seeking rights. DAHR President Béla Markó rejected the criticism, saying that the Bishop has either misunderstood or been misinformed. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), May 22, 1997]

May 20, 1997

The Council of Nationalities held its first plenary meeting since the November elections, adopting by-laws and a budget of which 6,240,000 Lei (approximately 900,000 U.S. dollars) will be distributed directly to minority organizations. A separate fund of 425 million Lei is reserved for combating racism. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania has delegated Parliamentary Deputies Kovács and Márton, and Vice President Kötô to the Council. [MTI (Budapest), May 20-21, 1997]

May 19, 1997

The Rumanian cabinet debated and adopted a legislative package consisting of 45 amendments to the Education Law, which will be submitted to the Parliament for vote at the Spring session. Among the new proposals are: (1)"establishing the right of persons pertaining to national minorities to learn in their native languages in all types" of public educational institutions, (2) special minority textbooks for the teaching of Rumanian language and literature at the elementary level, (3) the native-language instruction of Rumania’s history and geography in elementary and high school using textbooks developed for Rumanian-speaking students, (4) expansion of rights at higher education level to include the right to establish minority-language classes, sections or institutions, (5) abolishing the requirement that minority students have to master Rumanian language with the condition that they need to study it and (6) allowing schools to issue minority-language documents. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), May 20, 1997; Népszabadság (Budapest), May 20, 1997]

May 17, 1997

The teaching of tourism and geography at the Hotel Department of the Babes-Bolyai University in Gheorgheni/Gyergyószentmiklós will begin in Fall 1997 with 30 students. [Új Magyarország (Budapest), May 17, 1997]

May 11, 1997

President of the World Bank James D. Wolfensohn arrived in Bucharest to continue discussions. He praised the Rumanian government for the "tremendous progress it has made on the path of reform" and raised the previously agreed credit amount of 500 million dollars to 600 million. This is the first time in twenty years that the Bank’s President has visited Rumania. [MTI (Budapest), May 12-13, 1997; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), 14, 1997]

May 8, 1997

The Rumanian Senate’s Legal Committee has finalized a bill which would allow citizens access to secret police (SRI) files on them, while journalists and human rights activists would be permitted access to the files of public figures. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), May 8, 1997]

May 7, 1997

Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea received former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke who was accompanying a U.S. business delegation to Bucharest. Former Ambassador Holbrooke praised Rumanian-Hungarian and Rumanian-Ukrainian Bilateral Agreements as contributing to the security and stability of the region. [MTI (Budapest), May 7 - 8, 1997]

The Interior Ministry announced today that it has suspended construction of police barracks in Sfintul Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgyörgy following the local town council’s repeated votes against the plan and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania’s commencement of a protest petition drive last week. The County’s crime statistics had in no way supported the need for such additional security forces. [Új Magyarország (Budapest), May 8, 1997]

May 5, 1997

Hungarian Reformed Bishop László Tôkés issued a statement today regarding details of his non-participation in a meeting between Hungarian Church leaders and President Emil Constantinescu. Two days before the planned meeting, which Bishop Tôkés had initiated, he was disinvited by the President on grounds that the meeting would be of a different, more general nature. Later the same day, the Bishop was requested nonetheless to come to Bucharest, but it was too late to make the necessary arrangements. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), May 6, 1997]