August 31, 1999

In line with Cluj/Kolozsvár Mayor Gheorghe Funar’s aims to eliminate Hungarian street names and replace them with Rumanian ones, the Cluj/Kolozs County Council debated forty street name changes, including for example changing Hungarian peasant revolutionary Dózsa György to King Ferdinánd. Changing street names is costly as the identification papers of residents must also be updated. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania has protested the Mayor’s initiatives [see report of August 18]. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Aug. 31, 1999]

August 27, 1999

During his visit to Arad, Minister for Minority Affairs Péter Eckstein-Kovács met with representatives of the Hungarian, German, Serbian, Bulgarian, Roma and Jewish minorities to discuss the restitution of illegally confiscated properties. Currently, the only Hungarian-language high school, the Gergely Csiky Lyceum, functions in the same building as the Henry Coanda Rumanian-language high school. As the building erected by the city's ethnic Hungarian community should be returned to its rightful owner, the Roman Catholic Church, the local government will need to provide space for the Rumanian school in a separate building. Funds are not available, however, to complete the new building, preventing both schools from functioning properly. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Sep. 9, 1999]

In Bixad/Bikszad, the Greek Catholic church has been prevented from occupying a monastery for which legal title was restored. Confiscated by the Communists in 1948, a Rumanian Orthodox priest warned that bloodshed would ensue should the mayor’s office and the local health center move the children’s clinic housed therein to another building. This step would have allowed the Greek Catholics to reoccupy their monastery as determined by Government Decree 126/1990 on the return of properties confiscated from that church. County Council Chairman Gheorghe Miclaus indicated that the Prefecture would intervene to facilitate further talks. [Frissújság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), Aug 27, 1999]

August 25, 1999

In its third day session, the Chamber of Deputies adopted the bill on restoration of illegally confiscated properties by a vote of 198 to 6. Opposition parties, boycotting restitution, exited the session before the final vote. In an attempt to reverse the bill’s discriminatory provisions, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Deputy Árpád Márton submitted two amendments: (1) one amending Article 3 so that natural and legal entities eligible for compensation include legal entities banned under Communism provided that they re-registered by December 31, 1992 (2) and another eliminate Paragraph 1 of Article 8 that excludes churches from restoration. The Chamber rejected both proposals. However, in a vote of 164 to 2 abstentions, it did adopt Márton’s re-drafted amendment to Article 8 that states a separate law would regulate the return of confiscated properties belonging to churches and national minorities. Until such a law is adopted, the current bill would prohibit the sale and change in operation of these properties. The restitution of confiscated private properties, especially those belonging to the churches, is a key condition for EU membership and a commitment Rumania made when it joined the Council of Europe in 1993. In a press conference, DAHR President Béla Markó pointed out that even if the bill falls short of returning church properties to their rightful owners, it opens the possibility for restoration in a future law. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest) August 23 and 25, 1999; Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), August 26, 1999]

In Alba/Fehér County, home to a 25,000-strong ethnic Hungarian community, the 1996 elections left the ethnic Hungarian community without parliamentary representation. Head of the county branch of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Levente Rácz told the Hungarian-language daily Romániai Magyar Szó that very little has been achieved in education, native-language use and public administration despite the adoption of favorable laws in Parliament. For example, a request by local residents in Ciumbrud/Csombord to establish a Hungarian-language nursery group this September was sabotaged by the District Superintendent of Schools. Rácz also expressed hope that a teacher-training faculty scheduled to open in fall 1999 at the Gábor Bethlen College in the County Capital, Aiud/Nagyenyed, will have a positive effect. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Aug. 25, 1999]

August 21, 1999

Legal dispute over the rightful ownership of the Hungarian House, located in downtown Timisoara/Temesvár, has been protracted for years. Originally built and incorporated in the 1920s by the Hungarian community, the enterprise was liquidated under Communism and re-registered in 1994 by its successor company. However, after the fall of Ceasusecu, a well-known supporter of his in the West, Iosif Constantin Dragan, sued the Hungarian House for title and won. Although an appeal is pending, the building is also among those confiscated properties listed in Government Decree 13/1998 that have been selected for return to their rightful owners. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Aug. 21,1999]

August 18, 1999

The Cluj/Kolozs County committee responsible for street-name changes debated Cluj/Kolozsvár City Council’s proposal to change 54 street names, approving 42, rejecting 2 and returning 11 names to the City Council for further documentation. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania City Council member János Boros told the Hungarian-language daily, Szabadság, that Mayor Gheorghe Funar earlier replaced several street names, for example Libertatii to Unirii, Dostoyevsky to General Vasile Mieara then to General Mosoiu, without the county council’s approval. City councils now need County Council approval to change street names, in this case preventing Funar from implementing further changes. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozs), Aug. 18, 1999]

Downsizing scheduled to go into effect September 15 at Rumanian Television’s Cluj/Kolozsvár Regional Studio will reduce the staff of the Hungarian-language program from the current 11 to 4. According to plans, no editors will be left in the German-language section, effectively incapacitating the preparation of all minority-language programming. Current regulations stipulate a minimum 15-member editorial staff in minority-language sections. The move will reduce the studio’s total 120-member staff to 56 permanent employees. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Aug. 18, 1999]

August 17, 1999

No Hungarian-language sections will be allowed in the Oradea/Nagyvárad University — said Rector Teodor Maghiar — Rumanian will continue to be the only language of instruction. Earlier, Maghiar had announced that the university was open to beginning Hungarian-language sections if requested [see report of July 26]. After deliberation with the Rector, Peasant Party Chairman of the Senate’s Education and Research Committee Florin Bogdan said that "After all, ethnic Hungarian students can still study at the Cluj/Kolozsvár and Tirgu-Mures/Marosvásárhely universities." [Bihari Napló (Oradea/Nagyvárad), Aug. 17, 1999]

In an interview with the Hungarian-language daily Bihari Napló, head of Oradea/Nagyvárad 600-member Jewish community Péter Stern called for the return of illegally-confiscated Jewish properties and the restoration of rightful ownership for the community's historical buildings. The community has only regained its theater in Bucharest. During the Holocaust, 30,000 Jews were killed in the county of Bihor/Bihar. [Bihari Napló (Oradea/Nagyvárad), Aug. 17, 1999]

August 16, 1999

Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Deputy György Tokay told the Rumanian daily Transilvania Jurnal that his party insists that the Csíki Gergely Lyceum, built 1924-1927, be returned to its rightful owner, the Roman Catholic Church. The deputy pointed out that after the return, the building would continue to provide space for the only Hungarian-language high school in the city. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Aug. 16, 1999]

August 12, 1999

The Chamber of Deputies Legal Committee finalized the bill on the return of properties illegally confiscated after March 6, 1945. Nationalist opposition party deputies left the session before the final vote. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania deputy Ervin Székely told the Hungarian-daily Szabadság that the bill would partially compensate former owners on a sliding scale according to assessed value. Eligible former owners will first be required to reach an agreement with the public or commercial institution currently occupying the given structures. Buildings occupied by educational, social and cultural institutions; nursery schools and foster homes will be able to continue renting the properties at rates to be determined by a separate government decree. The Chamber will debate the bill in a special session following the August 23 holiday. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Aug. 12, 1999]

The Operative Council of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania discussed measures that need to be undertaken as a result of the opportunities created by the recently-adopted education law [see report of July 1]. The Council pointed out that the new amendments indicate progress in removing discriminatory provisions from the 84/1995 Education Law and fulfill most of the educational rights petitioned by 500,000 ethnic Hungarians. A top DAHR priority will be to utilize the new opportunities created by the law that include the right to (a) Hungarian-language vocational instruction at all levels; (b) the establishment of minority-language sections and departments in universities; (c) agreement that a separate law will regulate multi-cultural universities; (d) establish and maintain privately-funded educational institutions by the Hungarian churches; and (e) take entrance examination in the students' language of instruction; (f) form minority language classes in which the number of students fails to meet the established minimums; (g) write and issue native-language school documents in minority schools; (h) issue official minority-language translations of documents written in Rumanian; and (i) use special minority text books for Rumanian language instruction in grades 5 to 9. The law no longer contains restrictions such as the required proficiency in the Rumanian language and the creation of Rumanian-language classes in every locality. However, it continues to maintain several discriminative provisions such as not allowing the study of Rumania’s geography and history in the native-language at all levels and failing to resolve vital educational needs such as a minority-language university and support for church-operated secular schools. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest), Aug. 12, 1999]

The Supreme Court began criminal proceedings against Greater Rumania Party President Senator Corneliu Vadim Tudor for dissemination of false information. In March, the Senate suspended the ultra-nationalist senator’s parliamentary immunity paving the way for an indictment [see report of March 23]. Tudor had made several unfounded allegations against President Emil Constantinescu and threatened ethnic Hungarian political leaders with reprisals. [See reports of February 11 and 8, 1999; January 26, 1999 and November 21 and 24, 1998] [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Aug. 12, 1999]

Beginning the 1999/00 academic year, the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár will establish a satellite Hungarian-language teacher's training department at the Benedek Elek Teacher Training College in Odorheiu-Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely. The Education Ministry has approved 40 places, including 30 tuition-free ones, for the first year. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Aug. 10, 1999]

August 5, 1999

In a letter to President Emil Constaninescu, Prime Minister Radu Vasile and leaders of the other coalition parties, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó insisted that restoration of illegally-confiscated church properties — a key commitment Rumania made when it joined the Council of Europe in 1993 be included in the government’s bill on the restitution of confiscated properties. Currently, Article 8 of the bill excludes churches from such. Markó pointed out that conflicts over properties between the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches must not impede other churches from regaining their lawful properties. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest), Aug. 5, 1999]

August 3, 1999

Rumanian President Emil Constantinescu signed into law amendments to the 84/1995 Education Law that, among others, reverse numerous anti-minority provisions in the original document. The Parliament adopted the changes on July 1, ending two years of intense debate. [ DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest) August 4, 1999]

In an effort to provide the necessary text books for Hungarian-language schools, the Alliance of Hungarian Teachers in Rumania will combine forces with the Hungarian National Text Book Publisher and the Teleki Educational Center to create a new publisher in Cluj/Kolozsvár beginning Fall 1999. [Bihari Napló (Oradea/Nagyvárad), Aug. 3, 1999]

August 2, 1999

In a public letter, Mures/Maros branch president of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Elõd Kincses and the County Council’s Deputy Chairman György Virág objected to rebuffing of ethnic Hungarian candidates for top positions in the county’s public institutions. For example, with the county council appointing an ethnic Rumanian to head the county’ s philharmonic orchestra — a position previously filled by an ethnic Hungarian — Hungarians no longer fill any major artistic position in the county. In another move, the council approved the appointment of Adrian Moisoiu, member of extreme nationalist Greater Rumania Party, member of the county’s Permanent Bureau instead of Béla Tatár a young ethnic Hungarian candidate. The letter points out that these discriminative measures illustrate that the council’s majority still treats ethnic Hungarians as second-class citizens and ignore proportional representation. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely), Aug. 2, 1999]

The number of Hungarian-language schools increased by one with Education Minister Andrei Marga approving the establishment of a protestant high school in Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely beginning the 99/00 academic year. The move was initiated jointly by the Hungarian Reformed Bishopric of Transylvania and the Hungarian-language Farkas Bolyai High School to enable the latter’s protestant classes to gain independent legal status. The protestant high school will remain at its current location, in a wing of the Bolyai. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest), Aug. 5, 1999]

August 1, 1999

The Defense Ministry released a list, containing the names of 222 soldiers who were killed during the December 1989 revolution that toppled the Ceausescu dictatorship. According to the list, 113 soldiers died in Bucharest, 8 in Timisoara/Temesvár, 8 in Sibiu/Nagyszeben, 12 in Brasov/Brassó, 10 Braila and 71 in other communities around the country. The list contains several Hungarian names, for example, Imre Kovács, László Szilárd Takács, Imre Kolceri, Árpád Mihály Király, László Imecs, László Rudolf Müller, Ioan Raimund Lõrincz, György Gheorghe Sófalvi and Anton Szabó. Last month, the Supreme Court sentenced two generals to 15 years imprisonment for their participation in the 1989 Timisoara bloodshed ordering the military to pay 33 billion Lei (2.1 million USD) compensation to the victims’ families [see report of July 15]. Furthermore, the military prosecutor’s office decided to indict several military officers for their involvement in the Sibiu bloodshed during the revolution [see report of July 23]. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Aug. 3, 1999]