November 30, 1997

In an interview on the first anniversary of his presidency, President Emil Constantinescu rejected collective rights for minorities, and excluded the possibility of ethnic-based territorial autonomy, stating that "all over Rumania, in every community, the rights of all the citizens will be respected." Regarding the situation in Covasna/Kovászna and Harghita/Hargita Counties he elaborated that in the past he had often visited the region as a geologist, familiarizing himself with ethnic Hungarian and Rumanian communities. He pointed out that a great deal of those ethnic Rumanians who left the two counties after 1989 had been recently relocated there from other communities, and following the fall of the regime simply decided to return to their families. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Dec. 1, 1997]

President Constantinescu has significantly contributed to changing Rumania’s image, said Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó in an interview to Romania Libera, adding that the President has made numerous contacts, especially international ones, which will be extremely beneficial to Rumania. Recently, however, he ought to have dealt more with domestic affairs, namely mediating and taking a firm position in the political campaign waged against DAHR and ethnic Hungarians, said Markó. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Dec. 1, 1997]

The noted human rights activist, Doina Cornea, publicly condemned Chairman of the Education Committee, Senator George Pruteanu’s political standpoint in minority issues stating that it violates all previously made concessions within the coalition and discredits the President and the Prime Minister. If Pruteanu’s anti-minority policy will predominate legislation, it may ultimately lead to "grave political consequences in international affairs . . . .If we expects ethnic Hungarians to be loyal to us, then, it is our duty to show at least minimal loyalty to them. This serves Rumania and the position it strives for." said Doina. [Népszabadság (Budapest), Dec. 1, 1997; Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Dec. 1, 1997]

The Rumanian National Unity Party has formally split due to the stormy conflict between current leader Valeriu Tabara and the party’s former head Gheorghe Funar (see reports of November 4 and 22). Tabara seems to have come out the winner with more votes from RNUP parliamentary members and party branch leaders. However, since both Tabara and Funar claim the right to use the RNUP name, they are likely to go to court. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Dec. 1, 1997]

November 29, 1997

The Orthodox Bishopric of Covasna/Kovászna and Harghita/Hargita Counties has obtained a governmental endowment of 1.17 billion Lei to carry on restoration and maintenance at places of worship. Many of them had been erected during the interwar years in predominantly ethnic Hungarian communities where the Orthodox church and ethnic Rumanians were unable to sustain them and even in recent years did not show interest in maintaining them. In addition, the Bishopric will receive a 325 million Lei income subsidy — a move the Hungarian Historic Churches of Transylvania have aspired to. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 29, 1997]

In a public letter to Rumanian Minister for Minority Affairs György Tokay, Bishop László Tôkés voiced his indignation over the discriminatory and slanderous letter that the State Secretary for Religious Affairs sent to the parliament, calling for an investigation of the "Hungarianization" of Rumanians and the forceful conversion of Orthodox believers in Transylvania. Tôkés appealed to the minister for protesting the charges and protecting ethnic Hungarian churches against state-subsidized Orthodox expansion. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 29, 1997]

November 25, 1997

In a vote of 59-58, the Senate decided to cast secret ballots during voting on the amendment to the Education Law. Chairman of the Educational Committee, Senator George Pruteanu, said that as a result MPs will be able to vote free of party directives. The Senator once again attacked Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Representatives protesting not only native-language instruction of history and geography but also the creation of an independent Hungarian-language university favoring only "such programs that would harmonically live together under the aegis of undivided Rumanian education." [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Nov. 26, 1997; News Mirror — DAHR MTI Press Service (Bucharest), Nov. 25, 1997]

The placement of bilingual signs was successfully accomplished in due to the cooperative effort of the mayor and other DAHR officials in compliance with the government decree which allows communities that are at minimum 20 percent minority-inhabited to post bilingual place-name signs. However, in Magyarléta one of the recently posted bilingual signs was stolen and police have begun an investigation. Even though several ethnic Hungarian mayors have made promises, only seven communities have been able to place bilingual signs in Cluj/Kolozs County where altogether 90 communities are eligible (see report of November 15). [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 27, 28, 1997]

A conflict emerged between Cluj/Kolozsvár Mayor Gheorghe Funar and Finnish Ambassador Mikko Heikenheimo over a series of Finnish movies planned to be shown in Cluj on the 80th anniversary of Finland’s liberation. A brochure prepared by the Embassy announced that "for practical reasons, the program will be conducted in Hungarian in Cluj, and in Rumanian in Bucharest." which led Funar to voice his wrath and threaten that the performances will not be allowed to take place even in Finnish unless the Ambassador publicly apologizes. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 27 1997]

November 24, 1997

During an informal briefing with the international press, President Emil Constantinescu, who previously favored the request of Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania, now stated that he does not intend to take a position in the Peasant Party’s recent reversal of support for the coalition’s educational reforms. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 27 1997]

November 22, 1997

One third of Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Council members are in support of Honorary President László Tôkés’s initiative to convene a crisis session of the Council of Representatives, the organization’s highest decision-making body, because of the current dispute over removal of restrictions on minority educational rights in the Senate. DAHR President Béla Markó stated that even if he were in agreement, a meeting could hardly take place before the close of the Senate debate. [Magyar Nemzet, (Budapest), Nov. 22, 1997]

Romania Libera released a report on the internationally well-known and currently imprisoned terrorist, Carlos, and his Rumanian affiliations. The article published photographs about Carlos’s secret Bucharest headquarters from where he masterminded several assassinations between 1978 and 1983, among others, the 1981 attack against Radio Free Europe. Carlos apparently had direct telephone access to Ceausescu’s notorious Securitate. [Népszava, (Budapest), Nov. 24, 1997]

After being expelled from the Rumanian National Unity Party, its former President and Mayor of Cluj/Kolozsvár, Gheorghe Funar, contested the leadership’s decision and called together the party’s national council to expel current Chairman Valeriu Tabara and his 11 supporters. 128 members voted for the removal of Tabara, increasing the likelihood of a formal split within the party. [Népszava (Budapest), Nov. 24, 1997]

In response to a protest by several U.S. Congress members, Rumanian Attorney General Sorin Moisescu withdrew his intention to offer posthumous rehabilitation to eight members of convicted war criminal Marshall Antonescu’s cabinet. Antonescu had committed crimes against humanity by persecuting Jews during 1941-1944. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 24 1997]

November 21, 1997

Peasant Party MP from Cluj/Kolozs County Vida Simiti stated that his party does not share Chairman of Education Committee George Pruteanu’s views on the amendment to the Education Law, with the exception of making Rumanian the language of instruction for geography and history. According to Simiti, the Education Law, coupled with the newly proposed amendment, fully contributes to sustaining ethnic identity and culture while it does not offend Rumanian national feelings. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 22 1997]

November 20, 1997

During the ongoing debate over Education Law amendments (see reports of November 18 and 13), Professor Petru Caraman and Rumanian Alternative Party Senator Laurentiu Ulici voiced their support for native-language instruction, including history and geography, pointing out that "if the Rumanian Parliament wants native-language education for ethnic Rumanians living outside the borders of the country, it then must fully support the right to native-language education for ethnic Hungarians as well." [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 21, 1997]

November 18, 1997

After several hours of heated debate, the Chamber of Deputies defeated the opposition’s motion of no-confidence against the government in a vote of 183-97. The motion, which was proposed by the extremist Rumanian National Unity Party and supported by other opposition parties accused ethnic Hungarians of persecuting Rumanians from Covasna/Kovászna and Harghita/ Hargita Counties. During the dispute, top aide to Premier Victor Ciorbea, Remus Opris, factually refuted all claims, pointing out that the monies for Rumanian-language education and Orthodox church restoration have actually increased. Opris expounded that the opposition and its supporters’ "goal has only been to pit the citizens of this country against each other to avoid the real economic issues affecting Romanians and all ethnic groups." [Central European Online (London), Nov. 19, 1997; Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 19, 1997]

The Senate has begun debate over the government decree amending the Education Law — about which two opposing coalition partners, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania and the Peasant Party, failed to come to an agreement last week (see report of November 13). DAHR Senators Gyula Lôrincz and Péter Eckstein-Kovács stated during the debate that the governmental decree based on a previous agreement between the coalition parties was in accord with the Rumanian Constitution, the Hungarian-Rumanian Bilateral Agreement and other international covenants on native-language education. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 19, 1997]

November 15, 1997

The posting of bilingual place-name signs has been held up in several Cluj/Kolozs County localities due to financial difficulties. Non-DAHR mayors often fail to generate the necessary funds (each sign costs about 150,000 Lei and a minimum of four are needed per community) and local councils have been known not to set aside these monies as prescribed by law. Yet, the local population has been successful in putting up bilingual signs in many places. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 15, 1997]

November 14, 1997

On November 14-15, a two-day conference was organized by the Project on Ethnic Relations and the local branch of the Government Office for Minority Protection in Cluj/Kolozsvár discussing the issue of "European Integration, the Rumanian Educational Reform, and the Promotion of Minority-Language Instruction." Numerous European experts, representatives of NGOs, and Rumanian state and local officials participated in the conference. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 15, 1997]

November 13, 1997

The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania appealed to President Emil Constantinescu today to take a position on the DAHR-Peasant Party talks concerning native-language instruction of history and geography, and to mediate, since the Peasant Party refuses to make any concessions. DAHR has already conceded on the point of teaching one or the other subject in Rumanian. DAHR President Béla Markó has stated that the Peasant Party’s attempts to deprive ethnic Hungarians of their existing rights jeopardizes the functioning of the coalition itself. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 14, 1997]

November 12, 1997

Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó announced today that the most recent negotiation between the governing coalition partners failed to achieve any resolution regarding reform of the education law. The issue is scheduled for Senate debate tomorrow. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 13, 1997]

In a public statement, the Bolyai Society rejected Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn’s recent statement regarding the location of an independent Hungarian university in Rumania as unacceptable and in violation of the principle that the Hungarian government not issue any statements concerning ethnic Hungarians in Rumania without prior consultation with Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania. The announcement was prompted by the Hungarian Premier’s October 21 Bucharest statement that "A new and independent Hungarian-language university has to be founded in Rumania: taking into consideration the multicultural aspect of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár, this university would be established and begin functioning in another city." In a three-way meeting today between DAHR President Béla Markó, Education State Secretary András Béres, and the Bolyai Society leadership, the participants reaffirmed that DAHR would continue to support Cluj/Kolozsvár as the location of the independent Hungarian university. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 12, 1997]

Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, stated during a visit to Budapest that ethnically pure countries can not be created in this region, "all Hungarians, Rumanians, Serbians, Croatians, and Slovaks know that . . . That is why minority rights protection is important regardless of the minority. Everyone has a right to protection, unless we want to change the borders, which is impossible without another war," said the American envoy. [News Mirror — DAHR MTI Press Service (Bucharest), Nov. 13, 1997]

Police have apprehended and released the burglar of Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania headquarters in Cluj/Kolozsvár — a 13 year-old minor who apparently did not remove anything from the premises. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 12, 1997]

November 10, 1997

At the conclusion of French National Front President Jean-Marie Le Pen’s visit to Rumania as a guest at the annual congress of Corneliu Vadim Tudor’s Greater Rumania Party, the two politicians expressed their complete ideological agreement and decided to hold the founding congress of the Nationalist Internationale in 1998/99. "We want Rumania to be Rumanian and France to be French,’’ declared Le Pen. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Nov. 10, 1997; Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 10, 1997]

November 8, 1997

The Covasna/Kovászna County Council made public its letter to President Emil Constantinescu, Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea and the Chair of the Senate and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, protesting the recent wave of inflammatory press articles and political speeches against ethnic Hungarians living in Covasna/Kovászna and Harghita/Hargita Counties. The letter cites statistics to refute the allegation that Rumanians are being ousted from these counties by pointing out that their proportion in the population has actually increased to 25 percent during the past 8 years. According to the letter, the aim of the campaign is to mislead domestic and foreign public opinion, thereby jeopardizing the country’s national interest and depicting a false picture of Hungarians in Rumania. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 10, 1997]

November 7, 1997

According to the Liberal Party President, the Rumanian government cabinet will be reorganized before the end of the month. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó stated that no objection has been raised against DAHR’s ministers and state secretaries, though there is still room for improvement in their work. One of the novelties of the new cabinet will be to reorganize the State Ownership Fund into a Ministry of Privatization. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Nov. 7, 1997]

On Friday, parents and teachers gathered in the Turda/Torda Hungarian Reformed Church to discuss the possibility of establishing an independent Hungarian-language school for the children of this 7,000-strong community who are currently dispersed among three schools in the city. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 10, 1997]

November 5, 1997

The Hungarian Teachers Association held a meeting in Cluj/Kolozsvár to discuss the introduction of a new school subject, the history and traditions of Hungarians in Rumania. New versions, with translations into Hungarian, of Rumanian history and geography textbooks are under preparation, but being delayed due to parliamentary debate. In the interim, the Journal of Public Education currently publishes lesson plans based on the curriculum in effect and the preliminary translation. Moreover, teachers are encouraging parents to take advantage of this new opportunity and submit their ideas in writing. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 5, 1997]

After two court rejections, the Hungarian Lutheran Church of Cluj/Kolozsvár has appealed to the World Council of Churches for support in regaining significant real properties illegally confiscated in the 1960’s and given instead to the Rumanian Orthodox Church in the 1990’s. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 4, 1997]

November 4, 1997

During a Bucharest meeting the leadership of the Rumanian National Unity Party decided to expel its former President and Mayor of Cluj/Kolozsvár Gheorghe Funar for failure to end litigation against public individuals including the County Prefect, DAHR leaders and several journalists. Funar who was immediately offered a top-rank position in the Corneliu Vadim Tudor-led Greater Rumania Party as well as in Ion Iliescu’s nationalistic party stated that he was unwilling to accept the exclusion and would do everything in his power to remove enemies of Rumania, among others RNUP Chairman Valeriu Tabara, from their positions. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 6, 1997]

November 3, 1997

"We may establish an Internationale of nationalistic parties" declared Corneliu Vadim Tudor, President of the Greater Rumania Party, on the occasion of the Chairman of French National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen’s, visit to Bucharest, in an exclusive statement to Rompres today. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 5, 1997]

In his weekly press conference, Greater Rumania Party President Corneliu Vadim Tudor has called for arming ethnic Rumanians in Harghita/Hargita and Covasna/Kovászna Counties for the purpose of defending themselves against what he refers to as "the semi-military units led under the command of Hungarian specialists in the region" — otherwise known as the Boy Scouts, according to a recent report by the Bucharest daily Evenimentul Zilei. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 5, 1997]

November 2, 1997

At dawn today, unknown perpetrators robbed the Fürdô Street headquarters of the Cluj/Kolozs County branch of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania. The police have reason to believe that the perpetrators were familiar with the premises and in fact could be anyone among the 13,000 people who visited the building during the past months to arrange compensation matters. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Nov. 5, 1997]