Romanian mayor had the Hungarian sign covered with a Romanian flag – VIDEO

At the Chestnut Festival in Nagybánya, a Hungarian chimney cake seller’s Hungarian sign provoked anger. After Cătălin Cherecheș, the Romanian mayor had it covered with a Romanian flag, the deputy mayor took it down and got fired. 

“What the Romanians do not understand, must be covered”

The Chestnut Festival in Nagybánya was held this year between 23-25 September. Every year, numerous stalls await visitors while the mayor makes sure everything goes according to plan. However, this time, one of the stalls displayed the words “kürtős kalács” (chimney cake) in Hungarian, reports foter.ro. “I have a request. Get me a tricolour and put it up nicely.”, said the mayor when he caught sight of the writing. “Where we [Romanians] do not understand what it says, we put a Romanian tricolour.” The tricolours were not placed over the Hungarian writings, in fact, but on the front of the stall. On both sides of the façade, the word kürtős was covered with a sign that read cozonac (sweet bread in Romanian).

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The vendors should receive an apology

As hvg.hu reports, Adrian Szelmenczi, journalist and human rights activist, had commented on the issue. He believes a sensible politician should have removed the Romanian writings and apologised to the vendors who were subjects of discrimination due to their origin. In addition, the RMDSZ of Nagybánya (Romanian Hungarian Democratic Association) has also reacted. Deputy mayor István Pap Zsolt described the mayor’s action as incomprehensible and unacceptable and ordered the removal of the flags. “Until now, there have been no examples of this kind of occurrence in Nagybánya. We consider it regrettable that the city’s mayor has resorted to such behaviour. We are convinced that such actions do not serve peaceful coexistence and, moreover, deepen the differences between the city’s Romanian and Hungarian communities. And this should not be in anyone’s interest.” – wrote the deputy mayor.

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The deputy mayor has been fired

Meanwhile, the mayor has reacted to the incident. He said that it was a big enough gesture that they accepted the Hungarian name Nagybánya for the city, when in fact it was called Baia Mare in Romanian. Furthermore, he defended the Romanian language. According to him, if a baker did not put the word pâine on the sign, but the word kenyér (bread), “he, the Romanian” could not enter the bakery. The mayor added that since Pap Zsolt István removed the Romanian flags, his services as deputy mayor would no longer be needed.

Watch the video here:

Source: foter.ro, hvg.hu