Anti-Hungarian Parties Could “Contaminate” Political Debates in Romania

On request of EP President Roberta Metsola, Diana Șoșoacă (in the photo), who was attempting to interrupt a MEP speech, was removed from a European Parliament session back in July.

In his latest interview, Hunor Kelemen, RMDSZ presidential candidate, sharply criticized the ruling parties in Romania for tolerating the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and S.O.S. Romania, known for their anti-Hungarian sentiments, in recent years. The RMDSZ leader believes that if AUR leader George Simion makes it to the second round of the presidential elections, the extremist parties could gain up to 30 percent of the vote in the parliamentary contest.

According to the candidate of the party representing the Hungarian minority, in every state the ruling parties are responsible for what happens in society, and “it is no different in Romania.” “AUR emerged after 2017 and entered parliament in 2020. It is clear that the accumulated discontent, frustration, anger and the attitude of the political mainstream during the post-2012 governments have contributed to the strengthening of these far-right and far-left forces,” Maszol.ro quoted Hunor Kelemen from an interview with RFI.

According to the politician, those in government today continue to make the same mistakes. “They do not have the courage to confront these forces and say: so far and no further (…). We discussed this a lot, especially when we were in government. We were told ‘we cannot do it because we would lose votes,’ and so on. Today, it is clear that in the parliament we will have a force that can reach up to twenty percent: the AUR and Șoșoacă (S.O.S. Romania president – ed.) together.

If they are already capable of causing so many scandals when they only represent ten percent of the parliament, can you imagine what would happen if they were to represent twenty percent?”

The Hungarian presidential candidate said he was not afraid that George Simion, the leader of AUR, would win the presidential election. “I am not afraid that they will govern either, because no one will enter into a coalition with them.

Nobody will cooperate with them in parliament or in government. But that does not mean they will not contaminate the whole political debate inside and outside the legislature, and in public debates,”

he noted. He warned that if George Simion makes it to the second round of the presidential elections, they could face a very serious problem, as the AUR and S.O.S. Romania could reach a combined total of 30 percent, “which would be disastrous for Romania.”

Asked whether it is possible to isolate extremist parties in the parliament and on the political scene, Hunor Kelemen said that one cannot stand by and watch what has already happened several times in the parliament. “In the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola solved the Șoșoacă case in a second (…). But here, the rules do not allow it. The parliamentary rules need to be changed, and this requires courage. The leaders must show courage. Now there is a lack of courage,” stressed the presidential candidate of the RMDSZ.

Via Maszol.ro, Featured image: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu