András Demeter, Romania’s culture minister and a politician affiliated with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), has resigned after a leaked audio recording triggered a major political scandal in Romania.
The controversy erupted after a recording surfaced in which Demeter allegedly used vulgar language while speaking about Romanian national interests. According to Romanian 2mnews, the minister recalled an older investigation connected to the acquisition of the Moldovan radio station Radio Chișinău by Romania’s public broadcaster.
In the leaked recording, Demeter allegedly said he “doesn’t give a damn about the national interest because he is Hungarian,” using an even stronger vulgar expression in Romanian. He reportedly recalled telling prosecutors at the time that if the authorities believed the acquisition harmed the Romanian state, they should simply sell the station to the Russians.
Coalition partners and party leadership demanded resignation
The remarks quickly sparked outrage both within Romania and inside Demeter’s own political camp. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania publicly distanced itself from both the language used and the content of the statements.
Botond Csoma, leader of the RMDSZ parliamentary group, said the minister’s resignation would be the “natural and responsible decision” in such a situation. He argued that comments of this kind not only affect the reputation of one politician but could also cast a long shadow over the entire Hungarian minority community in Romania and its political representation.
Later, Hunor Kelemen, head of the party, also called for Demeter’s resignation, saying the statements heard in the recording were unacceptable. Kelemen stressed that vulgar speech and irresponsible jokes involving Russian interests had no place within the political community represented by RMDSZ.
Demeter’s letter of resignation:
Demeter questioned authenticity of recording
Before announcing his resignation, András Demeter claimed he did not remember making such remarks and suggested the recording may have been manipulated as part of an attempt to discredit him politically.
In a Facebook video statement, he said he had requested an official investigation into the authenticity of the audio file and promised to resign if experts confirmed it had not been altered.
Later, Demeter also argued that his words had been taken out of context. According to his explanation, he had been speaking ironically while recalling a past conflict and had actually defended Romanian state interests during the dispute over the Moldovan radio station.
Long-running tensions within ministry
According to Transtelex, the latest scandal is only one chapter in a broader series of conflicts surrounding Demeter’s tenure as culture minister. Since his appointment, tensions and controversies have repeatedly emerged around the operation of the ministry.
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