June 23, 1999

The Council of National Minorities adopted a statement voicing concern over newspaper articles inciting minority hatred and anti-Semitism. The statement called for credible and impartial press releases and asked related institutions to condemn anti-minority propaganda, applying the appropriate provisions of the penal code in such cases. Representatives of the education committee reported severe lack of textbooks in several minority-language schools during their on-site visits to Timis/Temes, Maramures/Máramaros, Harghita/Hargita, Caras-Severin/Krassó-Szörény, Suceava and Arad Counties. In another statement, the Council called on the Chamber of Deputies to vote for the Senate-adopted version of the public administration bill. In his speech, Minister for Minority Affairs Péter Eckstein-Kovács called for establishing the Minority Research Center endorsed by the government program. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest) Jun. 24, 1999; Friss Újság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), Jun. 26, 1999]

The Chamber of Deputies postponed for the second time the vote on Article 123 of the civil servant bill that would require that employees in the public relations offices of public administrations speak the given minority language in communities 20 percent or more minority-inhabited. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jun. 24, 1999]

The Rumanian-language daily, Transilvania Jurnal, reported that a representative of the extreme nationalist Rumanian National Unity Party Petre Turlea labeled the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania "the declared enemy of the Rumanian state," accusing it of "trying to eradicate the Rumanian nation by every means." [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Jun. 24, 1999]

June 21, 1999

During an official reception in Bucharest, Prime Minister Radu Vasile met with 15 Rumanian church leaders, among others, Bishop László T?kés representing the Királyhágómelléki Bishopric of the Hungarian Reformed Church. After the meeting, T?kés told the Hungarian-language daily, Romániai Magyar Szó, that discussions included restitution of illegally confiscated church properties and religious education. The ethnic Hungarian bishop also said that State Secretary for Religious Affairs Gheorghe Anghelescu confirmed the existence of a government decree restoring 200 confiscated church properties, which would also include 40-50 Hungarian-related properties, ten of which belong to historic Hungarian churches. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Jun. 25, 1999]

As the mayor’s office restored illegally confiscated church properties in two small Hungarian-inhabited communities in Satumare/Szatmár County — Acas/Ákos and Atea/Atya [see report of June 10] — Archdeacon Miklós Sipos told the Hungarian-language daily Friss Újság that a great deal of goodwill by local authorities is necessary to achieve private property restitution rather than centrally-issued orders. [Friss Újság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), Jun. 11, 1999]

June 17, 1999

During a visit to the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár, part of his June14-19 visit to Rumania, OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Max van der Stoel stated that with adoption of Education Law amendments by the Chamber of Deputies yesterday, Rumania has taken a newer step towards implementing European norms on minority protection. The High Commissioner expressed hope that the Rumanian Senate would follow suit during next week's vote. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Jun. 17 and 18, 1999]

June 16, 1999

In a vote of 178:110 with two abstentions, the Chamber of Deputies of the Rumanian Parliament adopted Government Decree 36/1997 amending the Education Law thereby guaranteeing the right to native-language education in all subjects at all levels, excluding Rumanian history and geography, which must be instructed in Rumanian at the secondary and higher levels. While not wholly reflecting the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania's aims, President Béla Markó was gratified at the governing coalition's unity and effectiveness during the vote of the compromise text. Major deficiencies of the Education Law are now corrected. According to the new provisions, special textbooks and curriculum will be used for the instruction of Rumanian at the elementary level, with separate textbooks but the same curriculum as Rumanian-language schools in gymnasiums at the secondary level. Minority-language groups, sections and faculties and colleges, can be established in state universities. A separate law will determine the language of multicultural universities to be established. The right to native-language entrance examinations is also guaranteed at all levels in all subjects studied in the given language. The provision mandating mastery of the Rumanian language now requires study of the subject. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest), Jun. 16 and Jun. 18, 1999; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Jun. 17, 1999]

June 10, 1999

Although a building confiscated under Communism from the local church in Acas/Ákos was restored to its rightful owner, it will need to be demolished owning to its extremely poor condition. The building currently provides space for a nursery and elementary school. The church stands ready to erect a new building should the necessary funds materialize. [Friss Újság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), Jun. 10, 1999]

June 9, 1999

While opposition party representatives walked out, the conference committee established in November 1998 to make further changes in Government Decree 36/1997 amending the Education Law agreed that minority-language groups, sections and faculties can be established in state universities upon request. The final text adopted by the committee, and subsequently submitted to both chambers of Parliament, includes minorities' right to native-language education in all subjects, at all levels, except in the subjects of Rumanian history and geography, which must be instructed in Rumanian at the secondary and higher levels. In the committee’s final version fails to endorse the right to establish minority-language universities, merely providing that separate laws must regulate the establishment of all universities, including minority and multicultural ones. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest), Jun. 10, 1999; Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jun. 11, 1999]

June 7, 1999

The Supreme Court terminated the death sentence imposed in 1978 on General Mihai Pacepa, former head of the Securitate, who broke ties with dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu and sought political asylum in the United States. One of two verdicts — high treason and divulging state secrets to a foreign power — had been upheld until now, preventing him from entering Rumania. Over firm objections by Rumanian Social Democracy Party President Ion Iliescu, and former head of the Rumanian Intelligence Agency Virgil Magureanu, Chairman of the Helsinki Committee Gabriel Andreescu welcomed the court’s decision pointing out that "those who betrayed the Communist power are not traitors." [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jun. 9, 1999]