Hungary’s FM: Romania tolerating Hungarian party campaigning in Transylvania

Romania has raised no objection to Hungarian parties campaigning in Romania in the run-up to the 2018 general election, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, told Romanian public television (TVR) on Monday afternoon.

Interviewed by TVR’s Hungarian section last week, Szijjártó said his Romanian counterpart Teodor Melescanu approached the issue sensibly during their Bucharest talks.

“He said: ‘It is up to you how successfully you address members of Romania’s ethnic Hungarian community during Hungary’s election campaign‘; I hope that this sober approach will be maintained.”

Romania has also recognised dual citizenship and granted it to many ethnic Romanians beyond its borders, Szijjártó said. This is why Romania has never made “serious critical remarks” about Hungary granting fast-track citizenship to ethnic kin, he added.

Szijjártó said he hoped that “Hungary’s political parties will be wise enough not to resort to methods that may expose the Hungarian ethnic community to attacks by extremist or nationalist forces. We will make every effort to avoid this, all the more so because, for historical reasons, 2018 will be a year of key importance for Romania”, Szijjártó said, referring to the centenary of the union of Transylvania and Romania.

Asked about last year’s ban on Hungary’ diplomats attending Romanian commemorations of the union on December 1, Szijjártó said he saw no reason to revise the decision. He added, however, that the Hungarian government always follows the position of the ethnic Hungarian communities in question. Accordingly, he said, last year’s decision was motivated by the stance of the ethnic Hungarian party RMDSZ on the anniversary.

Szijjártó visited Bucharest and addressed the annual meeting of Romanian diplomats on August 30 at Melescanu’s invitation.

Source: MTI