Hungarians in Transylvania Expect Respect from the Next President of Romania

The Hungarians of Transylvania need the next president of Romania to respect them and enable them to preserve, as well as strengthen their identity, said the President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians Romania (RMDSZ) on Wednesday in Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda), at a campaign event held jointly with the candidate for the Romanian presidential election, Crin Antonescu.

“I trust that Crin Antonescu is such a man,” Hunor Kelemen stressed. Referring to Antonescu’s previous visit to Covasna County, he underlined that it was the first time in the last 20 years that a Romanian presidential candidate had visited Szeklerland twice. This is a sign of respect and openness, of normality, and shows that the candidate is not afraid that Romanian voters will not vote for him because of his gesture to Hungarians, he underlined.

Hunor Kelemen stressed that

the joint candidate of the governing coalition is the only one who can defeat the extremist George Simion in the second round of the presidential elections.

He said that either RMDSZ would win the presidential election with Crin Antronescu and remain in government, or Simion would win and there would be chaos.

The Hungarian politician emphasized that the country had reached a “circle of history” from which not all exits lead to the future, but some lead to the past. He added that it was important for Romania, as a peripheral country, to remain on the western side and not drift eastwards. He pointed out that the Hungarian community of 1.2 million in Transylvania is strong, as it proved in last year’s elections, and that he expects respect from the President of the Republic, which he has not yet received. Antonescu’s presidency could bring this and would also improve Romanian-Hungarian relations, he stressed.

Crin Antonescu said he was happy to be “in the heart of Szeklerland”.

He underlined that, as a conservative man, Europe, identity and traditions are important to him and he respects the efforts of the Hungarian community in Transylvania in this direction.

He pointed out that it was the President’s duty to guarantee the rights of all citizens of the country, but especially those of minorities. He added that the right to identity was also important, as was adherence to European values.

Mr Antonescu recalled that

when the RMDSZ first joined the Romanian government in 1996, many people disagreed, but now everyone recognizes that the party’s presence in Bucharest is a guarantee of stability and development.

He said that minority rights were not easy to guarantee, and that care had to be taken to find the right way out of the “roundabout”.

The invited guests were also welcomed by the President of the Harghita County Council, Barna Botond Bíró, who stressed the need to protect the investments and common values that had been started. He said that if Romania “goes forward”, then Harghita County will also develop, and vice versa, and expressed his conviction that Crin Antonescu would be a president “who unites and not divides”.

Via MTI, Featured photo via MTI/Veres Nándor