Hungary to intervene in support of Szekler council’s fight against Romanian administrative plans

(MTI) – Hungary has decided to intervene in support of the Szekler National Council in its case at the Luxembourg court, appealing against a recent European Commission decision to reject its request for ethnically and culturally different regions to receive special treatment.

The Szekler council was hoping to collect one million signatures in support of its fight against Romanian plans to change the country’s administrative districts.

The government has duly informed the European Court of Justice of its decision, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The commission formally rejected the Szekler council’s European Citizens’ Initiative for the Equality of the Regions and Sustainability of the Regional Cultures in July 2013, arguing that the initiative was not within the body’s scope of legislation.

The Szekler council, however, disagrees with the commission’s position.

The ministry said Hungary’s government pays keen attention to initiatives that influence the fate of Hungarian communities abroad, and this also ties in with its obligation stemming from Hungary’s constitution.

EU policies should not be used for, even indirectly, to discriminate against the Hungarian minority in its native land. Nor should they have such an effect. This would be incompatible with the relevant European values, principles and laws, the ministry said, citing its state secretary Zsolt Nemeth.

Photo: adibeniuk.blogspot.com

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters