The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) criticized President Emil Constantinescu for publicly saying during his visit to Finland that DAHR’s inclusion in the government coalition was not a necessity, but a gesture towards the West to show that Rumania respects minority rights. Constantinescu also stated that ethnic Hungarians voted for him both in 1992 and 1996. In response, Csaba Kovács, Secretary of the Chamber of Deputies, pointed out that the Peasant Party, Democratic Party and Liberal Party together barely crossed the necessary threshold to form a parliamentary majority and, therefore, without DAHR’s 7.5 percent of the vote, basic laws would have been difficult to pass. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 29, 1998; Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 30, 1998]
Paul Philippi, Democratic Forum of Ethnic Germans in Rumania President voiced disappointment over Minister of Justice Valeriu Stoica’s rejection of an amendment proposed by Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Deputy Károly Kerekes, allowing for wedding ceremonies to take place in minority languages. Philippi concluded that, regrettably, Rumanian political rank and file seeks to artificially and needlessly provoke tensions with the country’s minorities. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 29, 1998]
The Supreme Court refused to offer posthumous rehabilitation to eight members of convicted war criminal Marshall Antonescu’s cabinet, who were held responsible for the persecution of a quarter million Rumanian and Ukrainian Jews during 1941-1944 [see report of November 22, 1997]. However, the court decided to approve the rehabilitation of Petre Toma Ghitulescu, former deputy state-secretary of Antonescu's government. [News Mirror — DAHR MTI Press Service (Bucharest), Oct. 28, 1998]
On the first day of his visit to the United States ethnic Hungarian mayor of Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely Imre Fodor met with Rumanian Ambassador Mircea Geoana and visited the Voice of America where editors offered programs to Radio Tirgu Mures. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely), Oct. 29, 1998]
The Rumanian Alternative Party quit the governing coalition and the Rumanian Democratic Convention recalling three of its ministers. [DAHR News Observer (Bucharest), Oct.29, 1998]
Addressing the Nobel Institute in Norway, President Emil Constantinescu strongly criticized the West over failing to admit Rumania in the first wave of NATO expansion and warned that mistakes must be paid for. Constantinescu was quoted as saying that "it is clear that threats to NATO come from the southeast and not the north or west. Risk exists in the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus and, I have no hesitation saying it, in Russia." The President also pointed out that economically the West had become "cynical and uninterested in the problems of Eastern and Central Europe," adding that while massive investments had been made in Poland and Slovenia, foreign investor now leave a market at the first sign of difficulty. "We therefore have to fight on alone and in harsh conditions," said the President admitting that reforms have been delayed in his country. [Central European Online (London), Oct. 28, 1998; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Oct. 28, 1998]
In an interview to Szabadság, Education State Secretary József Kötô stated that the return of illegally confiscated church properties and assets mandated by a government decree was being processed and that church ownership of two properties had already been restored in Cluj/Kolozsvár. However, the state secretary called for the endorsement of full-scale legislation on churches, pointing out that restitution will not be resolved by government decrees [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 27, 1998]
In an interview to the Hungarian Daily, Napi Magyarország, Mures/Maros County Deputy Prefect, Béla Buchwald enumerated concrete goals the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) has successfully achieved since its participation in the government, specifically, economic autonomy, enhancing the effectiveness of local governments; fulfillment of ethnic Hungarian needs in the county's secondary level, Hungarian-language education; the participation of DAHR-appointed experts and professionals in the leadership of the county's and the city's institutions. [Napi Magyarország (Budapest), Oct. 27 1998]
"Keleti Újság will be the name of a new, nationwide Hungarian-language daily in Rumania. The trial issue will be launched in December and from next March, it will be printed continuously, stated Lajos Kántor, chair of the editorial board, after several of the newspaper's initiators and other board members met in Cluj/Kolozsvár. [See report of September 14.] The meeting was attended by Árpád Farkas, poet, Zsolt Gálfalvi, chair of the Hungarian PEN Club in Rumania, Andor Horváth, university professor, Lajos Kántor literary critic, Sándor Kányádi, poet and András Sütõ, writer. The new daily will be prepared in Cluj, Andor Horváth has been appointed editor-in-chief along with István Stanik, journalist, as deputy editor. [Népszabadság (Budapest), Oct. 28, 1998]
The Rumanian Helsinki Committee issued a statement, protesting the growing wave of inflammatory propaganda against the Hungarian-German language university, pointing out that legal objections against the government decree allowing for the university are unwarranted and facts have also been seriously distorted. The statement also criticized the majority's intellectual elite for participating in the attack against minorities, stressing that "it will have woeful consequences on the country's internal security and stability, extracting a serious social price, and will isolate Rumania in the international arena." [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 24, 1998]
In his statement, Gabriel Andreescu, head of the Rumanian Helsinki Committee, criticized the media for spreading politicians' growing nationalism in civilian society, pointing out that a society functions well not if the press is strong, but if the branches of power can create a balance. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 24, 1998]
The Cluj/Kolozsvár branch of the Alliance of Hungarian Teachers in Rumania organized a conference for the county's history teachers to discuss problems facing Hungarian-language schools. Participants pointed out that history and geography are still instructed in Rumanian, despite the Government Decree 36/1997 allowing for the Hungarian-language instruction of these two subjects. Moreover, ethnic Hungarian students have not received yet the new alternative text books issued last year. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 23, 1998]
As the Chamber of Deputies' Education Committee ended debate over Government Decree 36/1997, amending the Education Law, it approved several restrictions, for example, that religious denominations are prohibited from establishing secular educational institutions subsidized in part by the state. Moreover, before closing the debate, Greater Rumania Party Chairman of the Education Committee, Anghel Stanciu, proposed that Rumanian be the language of instruction in multi-cultural higher educational institutions with the possible inclusion of a minority language. The article was adopted over the objections of Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania deputies and with the support of coalition member deputies from the Liberal and Democratic parties. This proposal in effect rules out the possibility of establishing an independent Hungarian, or Hungarian-German, language university. Ferenc Asztalos, Deputy Chairman of the Education Committee stated that "if the plenary session does not strike Stanciu's article, the government decree allowing for the Petõfi-Schiller bilingual university will be up in the air." [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 23, 1998; Népszabadság (Budapest), Oct. 24, 1998]
The Council of National Minorities, encompassing 17 nationality groups, adopted the final text of a Bill on National Minorities. Concern over anti-minority propaganda leading to ethnic hatred and intolerance was also raised at the meeting and an appeal issued to the General Prosecutor's Office to conduct official investigations in such cases. "We believe that in a country ruled by law, every citizen, regardless of his or her national background, has to enjoy the protection of law without any discrimination, when his or her constitutional rights such as the right to freely express identity, choose residence and employment are being violated," held the statement. The council's protest came in response to an earlier announcement of the local branches of Greater Rumania Party to have finished the recruitment of a national guard, which will collect and execute ethnic Hungarian leaders [see report of October 15]. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 23, 1998]
During talks with Prime Minister Radu Vasile, Chairman of the European Commission Jacques Santer called for political and economic stability in Rumania, stressing that the recent series of personnel changes in the government do not favor political stability. The Rumanian Prime Minister stated that his country greatly appreciates the support the European Union and other international institutions provide for "survival in hard times." [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 21, 1998]
Mediafax reported that Government Decree 22/1997 allowing for, among others, minority-language use in public administration and the posting of bilingual signs, continued to remain in effect after Peasant Party and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania deputies voted for their approval in the Chamber of Deputies. However, the Democratic Party voted with the opposition to reject the government decree, which will be scheduled for a debate again in the Senate committee. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 21, 1998]
In response to an announcement that Covasna/Kovászna County branch of the Greater Rumania Party have finished recruiting a National Guard in order to execute ethnic Hungarian leaders, Károly Szabó, Senate Deputy faction leader of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania's presented his party's position. The statement pointed out, among others, that these actions' end is the intimidation of the ethnic Hungarian community and other minorities, and called for an official investigation of this matter [see report of October 16]. [DAHR Bulletin, (Bucharest) Oct. 19, 1998]
At its weekend meeting, the National Council of University and College Presidents decided to submit an appeal to the Constitutional Court, protesting the government decree that allows for the establishment of the Petõfi-Schiller Hungarian-German language university. The presidents also demanded that the government decree be reconsidered. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 21, 1998]
At its Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc meeting, the Alliance of Hungarian Teachers in Rumania adopted a resolution stating that as a result of the participation of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania in the government several new educational institutions had been opened, the Hungarian-language school-network been widened and Government Decree 36/1997 had removed severe restrictions on minority educational rights. The resolution also called for further implementation of educational reform. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 22, 1998]
Education State Secretary József Kötô told Szabadság that the committee entrusted with preparing the necessary calculations for the establishment of a Hungarian-German language university would be appointed at today's cabinet meeting. In response to earlier doubts that the government decree's deadlines will not be kept [see report of October 13] Kötô said that since Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania working groups had been making good progress, the committee will be able to adhere to all deadlines. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 16, 1998]
Covasna/Kovászna County's Greater Rumania Party Chairman told Evenimentul zilei that they had already recruited a National Guard, which, if necessary, would "collect leaders of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania and execute them based on an ad hoc jury's verdict." Gica Agrigoroae reported that the National Guard consists of 127 members, among them agents from the Ministry of Defense and the Rumanian Intelligence Service (SRI), divided into 11-member groups which have already been "stationed" in Sfintul Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgyörgy and elsewhere in the county. If DAHR begins to implement autonomy, the ethnic Hungarian leaders will be "collected from their homes based on an already prepared list, put on trial, immediately prosecuted and executed based on the court's verdict: they will be shot, hung or impaled. If they try to escape, former members of the Iron Guard who are now in Canada and the United States will hunt them down," stated the county's Greater Rumania Party Chairman. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 16, 1998]
In Cehalut/Magyarcsaholy, Satu Mare/Szatmár County several bilingual road-signs were posted and the community's elementary school also installed a bilingual sign above its entrance. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 14, 1998]
Education State Secretary Mihai Horka and Assistant State Secretary Constantin Bratianu stated that the government decree (No. 687/1998), allowing for the establishment of a Hungarian-German language university cannot be implemented in its original form and the its deadlines cannot be kept. The two officials demanded that the designated languages of instruction, Hungarian and German, be removed from the government decree's text and title, saying that "only the university's leadership has the right to make a decision on the institution's profile and ask approval from the academic accrediting commission." According to Jurnalul national, their statement also says that the "proposed university does not meet the criteria for a multicultural university and is unconstitutional because it discriminates against those Rumanian applicants who do not know Hungarian." [DAHR News Observer (Bucharest), Oct.13, 1998; Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Oct. 14, 1998]
In Ganesti/Vámosgálfalva, Mures/Maros County, one of the bilingual road signs was recently spray-painted. Mayor József Varga reported that an official bilingual sign had been installed on the town hall building. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely), Oct. 13, 1998]
In a statement, the Cluj/Kolozsvár-based Bólyai Society called Government Decree 687/1998, allowing for a Hungarian-German language university, the first sign that the government intends to resolve the Hungarian minority's need for an independent university. However, the statement raised serious concern over the lack of specifics in the adopted text, such as the university's location and the legal guarantees of its implementation. "We also find it regrettable that the Rumanian community has for months been conducting a campaign of distorting facts and fermenting hysteria against the idea of a Hungarian-, and recently, a Hungarian-German language university, laying the groundwork for the mass media's irresponsible and manipulative drive to mislead the general public and undermine every effort to resolve the issue. The ethnic Hungarian academic community reconfirms that the institutional solution of our higher-educational needs is not targeted against any other institution. Its sole purpose is the preservation and development of our identity, culture and intellectual creative force," holds the Bólyai Society's statement. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 13, 1998]
A Rumanian-Hungarian language monument preservation, post-graduate engineering course will begin with 50 places in the Babes-Bolyai University Long Distance Education Center organized by the Transylvania Trust Foundation and the Association of Monument Restorers in Transylvania. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 12, 1998]
OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Max van der Stoel welcomed the Rumanian government's decision to establish a Hungarian-German language university, pointing out that the planned Petôfi-Schiller university cannot be seen as an alternative for multicultural development within the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 10, 1998]
The Government Office for the National Minorities has prepared a proposal for the five-member ad hoc leadership of the Hungarian-German language university that consists of Professor Karl Singer from Timisoara/Temesvár, Professor Dieter Simon from Brassov/Brassó, Professor Árpád Néda from the Cluj/Kolozsvár-based Babes Bolyai University, Professor Dénes Hollanda from Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely, and Professor István Horváth, from the Babes Bolyai University. This five-member group, together with another five appointed by Education Minister Andrei Marga, must prepare by November 15 the necessary calculations for establishing the university. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 10, 1998]
In an interview to Romániai Magyar Szó, Satu Mare/Szatmár County Prefect Rudolf Riedl pointed out problems that have been successfully resolved since the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania has been a part of the government coalition, mentioning, among others, providing the three minority-language lyceums with proper buildings, starting a Hungarian-language section at the Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti College of Economics, repairing the county's public roads despite the office's modest budget and the posting of bi- and trilingual signs in 90 percent of the communities eligible for them. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 9, 1998]
Five years after being installed, the Hungarian-language János Bolyai street-name sign in Timisoara/Temesvár was forcefully removed and replaced by a new Rumanian-language one, Str. Pietrosu. Officials have, however, failed to give sufficient explanation for the change. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Oct. 9, 1998]
The Chamber of Deputies voted by164 to 18 in favor of the Senate's one-paragraph bill rejecting Government Decree 22/1997, which allows for bilingual signs and the use of minority languages in public administration. Only Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania deputies endorsed the government decree by disapproving of the Senate bill. The vote was, however, declared invalid due to the lack of a quorum and will be scheduled for another vote next week. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 9, 1998]
In a lengthy article published in Adevarul, former Reform Minister Ilie Serbanescu warned "true" Rumanians that the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) stayed in the coalition only to achieve Transylvania's annexation to Hungary. Serbanescu alleged that DAHR's "precise and single" purpose is to achieve "cultural, administrative and ultimately territorial autonomy" which would be followed by the country's "federalism and Transylvania's detachment." Rumania has benefited neither internally nor externally from accepting DAHR's "application" into the government, as it hindered the implementation of reforms, claims the former reform minister. [DAHR News Observer (Bucharest), Oct. 8, 1998]
In response to the government decree allowing for the establishment of a Hungarian-German language university, Greater Rumania Party Senator Ion Mazina proposed that recruitment begin for an anti-Hungarian national guard to be stationed in Mures/Maros, Hargitha/Hargita and Covasna/Kovászna Counties — the densely Hungarian populated parts of Transylvania "Rumania has fallen into a crisis, is threatened by mortal dangers because the Alliance [Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania] led by Béla Markó can unleash a civil war with its behavior and demands," stated the Greater Rumania Party Senator. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 8, 1998]
The Rumanian National Unity Party led by Valeriu Tabara has decided to sue the government, saying that the government decree, allowing for the establishment of a German-Hungarian language university is unconstitutional, illegal and discriminative as it ignores the ethnic Rumanian majority's needs. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 2, 1998]
In Paris, Education Minister Andrei Marga met his Hungarian counterpart Zoltán Pokorni and stated that there will never be a Hungarian-language university in Rumania and the Petõfi-Schiller Hungarian-German language university will only come into existence if Rumanian is one of the instruction languages as well. Following Andrei Marga's announcement, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó stated that the Rumanian government's position is reflected in the government decree, allowing for a Hungarian-German language university. "Marga reconfirmed his defiance of the government's program and its decisions, that's why we have called, and will continue to call, for his resignation," stated the DAHR President. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Oct. 7, 1998]
In an open letter to Prime Minister Radu Vasile, Greater Rumania Party Chair of the House of Deputies' Education Committee Anghel Stanciu appealed for revoking the government decree on the establishment of a Hungarian-German language university. The letter signed by several MPs, among others, Greater Rumania Party President Corneliu Vadim Tudor, refers to the alleged violation of 13 constitutional and other legal articles, and claims that that exclusion of the Rumanian language would introduce racial and ethnic separatism into the national education system. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Oct. 6, 1998]
In an interview to the Hungarian daily, Napi Magyarország, Honorary President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Bishop László Tõkés pointed out that despite the government decree allowing for a Hungarian-German language university, the government made no progress on granting the right to the minorities to establish native-language higher educational institutions as mandated by the original form of Government Decree 36/1997. [Napi Magyarország (Budapest), 1998 Oct. 6]
Bihar/Bihar County representative of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Zsolt Szilágyi addressed a statement to Education Minister Andrei Marga and State Secretary for Religious Affairs Ion Anghelescu on the situation of Csángó Hungarians living in Moldavia who are unable to implement their inalienable and constitutional right to use native-language in education and during religious worship. Ethnic Hungarian parents in Klézse appealed in 1996 to the Bacau/Bákó County District Superintendent's Office - Szilágyi reported - to introduce native-language education in the community's elementary school. Since the Superintendent gave no response, after 14 months of waiting, the Ministry of Education ultimately issued it a directive to commence Hungarian-language sections. Further steps are yet to be taken. [DAHR Bulletin, (Bucharest) Oct. 6, 1998]
In a vote of 59:37, the extraordinary meeting in Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely of the Council of Representatives of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania [the organization's highest decision-making body] rescinded its previous resolution on withdrawing from the government coalition. However, the Council upheld its right to continue to reconsider DAHR's involvement in the government under certain conditions. The newly-adopted resolution further states that DAHR's participation is dependent of the fulfillment of general reforms, the enactment of minority rights and the implementation of related government decrees, including coalition support for approval of native-language education by Parliament. DAHR continues to insist on the implementation of its program and will not abandon the goal of establishing a Cluj/Kolozsvár-based independent Hungarian-language state university. DAHR President Béla Markó stated that the government decree on the establishment of a Hungarian-German language university is an important legal act and expresses the government and the coalition's intention to step forward on the issue of native-language education. "It is also important that the government decree involves very concrete and fairly immediate deadlines," stated Markó. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 5, 1998]
In an interview to Szabadság, the President of German Democratic Forum in Transylvania, Paul-Jürgen Porr, expressed his disapproval over the establishment of a Hungarian-German language university, saying that the Babes-Bolyai University's current German-language groups perfectly satisfy the needs of the 90,000 strong ethnic German community. Porr also pointed out that a Hungarian-German university would benefit neither the ethnic Hungarian nor the ethnic German community since Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania set its goal to establish an independent Hungarian-language university. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 2, 1998]
The Rumanian daily, Adevarul, has begun a campaign to discredit Smaranda Enache Co-Chair of the Pro Europe League based in Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely who was recently appointed by President Emil Constantinescu as Rumania's Ambassador to Finland. The daily states that "Smaranda Enache has always advocated Hungarian-friendly views, which DAHR [Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania] and certain organizations in Hungary have appropriately honored." Moreover, she has found DAHR's effort to re-establish the Hungarian-language Bólyai University legitimate, thereby provoking the local ethnic Rumanian population. [HTMH Observer (Budapest), Oct. 6, 1998]
A number of human rights organizations, namely the Rumania Helsinki Committee, the Association of Inter-Ethnic Dialogue, the Pro Democracy Association, the League of the Protection of Human Rights, the Pro European League, the Project on Ethnic Relations and the Independent Rumanian Society of Human Rights issued a joint statement to Anghel Stanciu, Greater Rumania Party Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Education Committee, protesting the committee's refusal to discuss the article of Government Decree 36/1997 allowing for minority-language universities. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 1, 1998]
After a heated Senate debate, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Senator György Frunda's motion to allow nuptials vows to be said in one's native language was defeated by a large majority. Senator Frunda told Szabadság that the current law does not mandate that the "yes" be said only in Rumanian. In addition, Rumania is signatory to a number of international documents, for example, the Charter on Regional and Minority Languages and the Hungarian-Rumanian Bilateral Agreement, which allow for native language use. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Oct. 6, 1998]