Szeklerland

Watch fires demanding the autonomy of Szeklerland in Romania

Watch fires lit demanding Szekler autonomy

Watch fires were lit on Sunday, Szekler Autonomy Day.

In Szeklerland, watch fires were lit in over 100 settlements to signal the region’s demand for territorial autonomy, Zoltán Gazda, who heads the Sepsi District chapter of the Szekler National Council said. Here is a map showing the settlements where the watch fires were lit today. The inscription says: “Territorial autonomy for Szeklerland!”

A manifesto signed by the president of the Szekler National Council, Balázs Izsák, was read aloud as the fires were lit after dark. In a statement issued earlier on Sunday by the state secretariat for policy concerning Hungarian communities abroad, Katalin Szili, an advisor to the prime minister, said Hungary supported the demand for self-administration of Hungarian communities beyond the country’s borders.

Read also:

  • Government supporting Szekler autonomy in Romania – Read more HERE
  • Romanian ambassador consulted over ‘disgraceful events’ at Transylvanian military cemetery – Details in THISarticle

Transylvania church rebuilt with support from Hungary

A Reformed church in Cecalaca (Csekelaka), Romania, rebuilt with support from the state of Hungary was inaugurated on Sunday. State secretary János Nagy said maintaining Hungarian identity meant holding on to one’s roots and Christian identity, not only in Transylvania but in Hungary, too.

Pastor András Ambrus said the tower of the congregation’s original church, consecrated in 1821, had started to sink, threatening the nave. The congregation got support from the Hungarian government to renovate the church on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, but a decision was taken to use the funding to build a new church instead, he added.

The more than 100 million forints (EUR 260,000) in support from the Hungarian government covered the largest part of the cost of the new church. Funding from the Romanian government paid for the church’s windows and doors.

Government supporting Szekler autonomy in Romania

Autonomy Szeklerland

Hungary has a constitutional responsibility for the fate of Hungarians living outside of the country’s borders, such as the Szeklers, the state secretary for Hungarian communities abroad said in the village of Tevel, in the southwest of Hungary, on Saturday.

Árpád János Potápi spoke as a watch fire was lit in solidarity on the eve of Szekler Autonomy Day.

The region is home to the Bukovina Szeklers, who migrated after a massacre by the Habsburg army from their home of Siculeni (Madéfalva) more than 250 years ago, eventually making their way to the south of Hungary.

Potapi, himself a descendant of the Bukovina Szeklers, noted that the Szekler National Council had decided in 2015 to celebrate Szekler Autonomy Day every year on the last Sunday of October.

The mayors of Tevel and of Siculeni, in Romania, also spoke at the event. Here are some photos:

Read also:

  • Hungarian autonomy commissioner to Romanians: “don’t believe your politicians!” – Read more HERE

Romanian ambassador consulted over ‘disgraceful events’ at Transylvanian military cemetery

Romanian extremists Hungarians, go home to Mongolia

A foreign ministry official has held consultations with Romania’s ambassador to Budapest regarding “disgraceful” events at Valea Uzului (Úzvölgy) military cemetery in Szeklerland, and the diplomat promised to take appropriate action.

Levente Magyar, parliamentary state secretary of the foreign ministry, referred to Romanian extremists who last weekend vandalised and held picnics on the graves of first world war Hungarian soldiers (read our report HERE).

He said the Romanian authorities had been “passive observers of these disgraceful events”.

The Hungarian official also noted a final court ruling issued in the summer that ordered the removal of illegally placed concrete crosses.

He discussed these issues with the Romanian ambassador on Tuesday, and they agreed that the relevant authorities should agree on a long-term solution.

Magyar referred to an “open wound in bilateral relations”. But Hungary wants to focus instead on how the two countries can be better connected with roads and railway lines and help Romania join the Schengen agreement, he said.

Magyar said the issue hurt bilateral relations and trampled on basic human values.

Read also:

Hungarikum collection expanding: Szekler gate and lángos!

lángos

According to a statement released by the Hungarian government on 17 October, the Hungarikum Collection has been expanded with two new items.

The Hungarikum Collection has been expanded with the Szekler gate (Székelykapu) and famous Hungarian deep fried flat bread, the lángos, in accordance with the decision of the Hungarikum Committee, the government announced on its website.

Szekler gate (Székelykapu)

székelykapu szekler gate
Wooden Szekler gate by Ernő Kiss (2000) at the Geologist garden. – Fekete street, Tata, Komárom-Esztergom County, Hungary. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Globetrotter19

In the statement, the government also defined what a Szekler gate and the perfect lángos are like.

The Szekler gate is a type of large gate with a characteristic carpentry technique, which evolved from the medieval town, castle and manor house gates,

Impress Magazine writes. “From the 17th century onwards, the Szekler gate type became a real attraction and cultural relic of Szeklerland, with its increasingly distinct carved ornamentation and the elaborate decoration of the so-called gate mirror above the small gate.”

Lángos (Hungarian deep fried flat bread)

lángos

They also explain how to make the perfect lángos. According to the government, the perfect lángos is medium thick, not too oily, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

“The tradition of making lángos is closely linked to the tradition of baking bread. The perfect lángos is medium thick, not too oily, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Traditionally eaten with grated cheese, sour cream and garlic to taste, we can now choose from a wide variety of sweet and savoury toppings.”

New addition to the Hungarian Values Directory

The Hungarian Values Directory (Magyar Értéktár, one level below Hungarikums) has also been expanded. The bokortanya (literally “bush ranch”) was added to the list. This unique bokortanya settlement structure was developed in the Nyírség from the mid-18th century (the Nyírség is a central landscape in the north-eastern part of the Great Plain). The people who lived here built dwellings, farm buildings and other facilities for livestock farming on land far from inhabited areas.

Also included in the Directory is the Zselic lime honey (zselici hársméz). It is a special type of honey that has been produced for centuries in the indigenous lime forests of Somogy County.

The Hungarikum Committee’s decision increased the number of items in the Hungarikum Collection to 89, while the Hungarian Values Directory contains 152 outstanding national values, the statement concludes.

As we reported, the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) has unveiled special commemorative coins that pay tribute to one of Hungary’s most influential historical figures Ferenc Deák. Check them out HERE!

Romanian extremists vandalise cemetery of Hungarian heroes?

úzvölgye valea uzului military cemetery

Police complaints were lodged on Monday by Csaba Borboly, Harghita County Council President, and Sándor Birtalan, Mayor of Sânmartin (Csíkszentmárton), after unknown persons vandalised information boards at the military cemetery in Valea Uzului (Úzvölgye), Romania. Mostly Hungarian soldiers are buried in the cemetery.

The Harghita County Municipality said in a statement that the incidents were detected on Monday and a complaint was filed with the county police for damage to public property, a Hungarian tabloid, Blikk, reported.

The information boards installed on the brick fence of the cemetery contain information in Hungarian and Romanian about the history of the area and the battles fought in the valley of Úz. According to the photos taken on site, more than a third of one of the signs has been broken by unknown perpetrators.

The municipalities concerned are asking for the authorities’ help in identifying those responsible for the damage, for legal action and for information on the progress of the investigation. They stress the importance of a swift and effective investigation of the case in order to maintain public order and safety and to respect public property.

This is the second police complaint in a month about the international military cemetery by the municipalities concerned. A few weeks ago, the mayor’s office of Sânmartin filed a criminal complaint with the Harghita County Police about the putting up of crosses at the cemetery on 8 July.

On 8 July, supporters of the Path of the Nation (Calea Neamului) and other Romanian organisations erected 150 wooden crosses in the international military cemetery to replace the concrete ones removed on 29 June. The smaller crosses, wrapped in Romanian national ribbon, were accompanied by a large one and a flagpole with the Romanian flag on it, the Hungarian News Agency, MTI, reported.

Hungarian ambassador in Bucharest summoned over Orbán’s speech

orbán

Hungary has a vested interest in cooperation based on mutual respect with Romania because “it benefits both countries and both nations”, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

Szijjártó said on Facebook that it had caused no surprise that the Hungarian ambassador in Bucharest was summoned to the Romanian foreign ministry. The meeting was held in a calm and polite manner and atmosphere, he added.

Referring to a recent speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the Bálványos Summer University who said that he had received a document from the Romanian foreign ministry with suggestions on the topics he should not talk about, Szijjártó said the Romanian deputy state secretary “practically repeated the same points” but in an updated form since Orbán’s speech has already been delivered. Read our article about the keynote speech here – PM Orbán keynote speech: the USA does not accept China’s victory and may go to war.

Szijjártó said Hungary would continue to strive for cooperation based on mutual respect, “we will always talk about our plans and goals, and assess the current situation in a tone of respect”.

As we wrote before, Romanian nationalists in Băile Tușnad would send a message to Viktor Orbán during the Tusványos Festival by waving Romanian flags, saying that “Transylvania is always Romanian land” – video HERE

Deputy PM inaugurates House of Hungarian Affairs in Romania

House of Hungarian Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén inaugurated the House of Hungarian Affairs in Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda), in central Romania, on Saturday.

Addressing the ceremony, Semjén said the building, which was purchased and renovated by the School Foundation with the support of the Hungarian government, contained “everything that pertains to the Hungarian world”. He called for the establishment of “similar little Hungarian worlds” in Hungarian-inhabited localities.

The institution will be home to the Pro Economica Foundation, the Association of Szekler Farmers’ Organisations and the Eurotrans Foundation handling Hungarian citizenship matters. Hunor Kelemen, leader of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), highlighted the importance of partnership with the Hungarian government, saying that “every affair in Miercurea Ciuc is a Hungarian affair”.

Zoltan Levente Nagy, head of the School Foundation, said the purchase and the renovation of the building cost 793 million forints (EUR 2.1m).

Minister: Koreans and Hungarians are relatives

korean culture

János Csák, Hungary’s cultural minister, talked about the deep relationship between Koreans and Hungarians at Tusványos, the summer university organised in Tusnádfürdő, Szeklerland, Romania.

According to telex.hu, Mr Csák said that Koreans are the relatives of the Hungarians. But they chose to go East from “Dzsungária”, while ancient Hungarians headed West. One of our common features is K-pop. Koreans got back songs from the Hungarians, and now they are happy, Csák said.

He added that the Hungarian government spends HUF 500 billion (EUR 1.32 billion) on cultural purposes. But he aims to terminate the Budapest-centricity of culture. About the USA, he said that the country does not have a common identity. Therefore, it is like a dead person whose nails keep growing, but who does not have a soul anymore.

VIDEO: Hungarian climber on 9th highest peak: Go Transylvania! Go Partium!

varga csaba Nanga Parbat

Csaba Varga, a mountaineer from Oradea, Transylvania, Romania, climbed the world’s 9th highest mountain, Nanga Parbat, without the help of an oxygen tank and successfully descended it. The climber made a 3-minute video at 8125 metres.

Csaba Varga, the extreme sportsman, took a camera with him to the summit. The Facebook page Hazajáró has published the footage that Varga took at an altitude of 8125 metres above sea level.

According to the Hungarian caption, among other things, he says that he has reached the summit and that it was really hard. He then says “Hajrá Erdély! Hajrá Partium! Hajrá Székelyföld! Hajrá Felvidék, Anyaország, Délvidék, Kárpátalja és Őrvidék!” This translates to:

“Go Transylvania! Go Partium! Go Szeklerland! Go Upper Hungary, Mother Country, Southern Land, Transcarpathia and Burgenland!”

This is how King Charles spent his visit to Hungarian village in Transylvania

king charles iii in transylvania

The ruler of the United Kingdom, King Charles III has recently visited the village of Zalánpatak, which is an ethnic Hungarian village in the region of Transylvania, Romania. The king’s visitation was once again a huge success.

As we previously reported, Charles was captured on camera wearing a short-sleeved shirt and sunglasses, carrying a walking stick as he stepped out of his house in Zalánpatak on Saturday. The locals greeted the ruler with flowers and applause. He shook hands with people and engaged in conversations with those present, writes Transtelex.

Transylvanian excursion

Zalánpatak has become a real pilgrimage site, attracting curious onlookers and fans from all over Romania. The locals organised a picnic for the British monarch. Besides traditional Szekler dishes, there was also music with Hungarian folk songs to entertain His Highness.

Charles also went on a hiking trip. He and his companions covered a distance of 18 kilometres on foot, taking about six hours, through the hills from Miklósvár to Zalánpatak. They allegedly even stopped at a shepherd’s hut where they were offered cheese. His friend, Count Kálnoky Tibor emphasised in previous interviews that Charles didn’t need any convincing; the place captivated him immediately.

Charles III going on a hike. Source: MTI/Kátai Edit

On Kálnoky’s suggestion, Charles previously purchased an estate in Zalánpatak

“He felt so good that they sealed the purchase with the then-owner, an old lady, on the spot, with the condition that she could stay there until the end of her life.”

-recalled Mátyás Kálnoky, son of Tibor.

King and devoted conservationist

Charles’ annual visits generally follow the same script as this one. After a quick stop at Bucharest, where he shakes hands with officials such as the President, he travels to the Transylvanian region of Romania to spend his annual vacation there. This place holds a special place in Prince Charles’ heart. He has developed a deep connection with its natural beauty, culture and heritage over the years.

Charles III meeting the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. Source: MTI/EPA/Robert Ghement

During his vacation, Prince Charles immerses himself in the local community and enjoys the tranquillity and simplicity of life in the countryside. In addition, he also takes part in various cultural events and engages with the local community. He has been known to attend traditional festivals, visit local artisans and even participate in traditional dances and music performances. His genuine appreciation for the local traditions and his efforts to promote them have earned him admiration and respect among the people of Transylvania.

Charles III meeting civilians. Source: MTI/Kátai Edit

Furthermore, Prince Charles uses his influence and platform to raise awareness about important issues affecting the region. These include, for example, biodiversity loss, rural development and sustainable agriculture. He often advocates for the preservation of Transylvania’s unique landscapes and the importance of maintaining a balance between conservation and economic progress.

Overall, Prince Charles’ annual visits to Transylvania allow him to actively contribute to the well-being and preservation of the region. His genuine love for Transylvania and its people has made him a beloved figure in the area. All in all, his dedication to sustainable practices serves as an inspiration for environmentalists and conservationists worldwide.

 

Sándor Palace: Romania’s protest over Hungary president’s Sumuleu Ciuc visit ‘exaggerated’

President Novák Szeklerland

The Romanian foreign ministry’s protest of the Hungarian president’s remarks in connection with her attendance of the annual Pentecost Pilgrimage in Sumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyo), central Romania, is “exaggerated and unjustified, but not unusual”, the presidential Sándor Palace told news portal Mandiner on Monday.

Romania’s foreign ministry contacted the Hungarian embassy in Bucharest in connection with what it called “inappropriate public messages” conveyed during the president’s visit to Romania.

Asked by Mandiner.hu to comment on the matter, the office of the president said the Romanian ministry’s objection was “exaggerated and unjustified, but not unusual”.

The Sándor Palace said the social media post in question, a video showing the singing of the Szekler Anthem at the Csíksomlyó (Sumuleu Ciuc) pilgrimage, can still be viewed in its original form on the president’s social media platforms.

In her Facebook post of the video, President Katalin Novák highlighted the line in the anthem

“Let Transylvania fall not, O Our God!/Ne hagyd el veszni Erdélyt Istenünk!”

British monarch Charles III will pay a private visit to Romania and Szeklerland in June

British monarch Charles III will pay a private visit to Romania and Szeklerland in June

The visit of the British monarch Charles III to Romania in June will be a private one, but the King will also meet with Romanian head of state Klaus Iohannis as a courtesy gesture, British Ambassador to Bucharest Andrew Noble said on Monday.

The diplomat told the Romanian news agency Agerpres that this is the first visit to Romania by a British monarch in the person of Charles III. But this visit will be as private as the King’s visits to Romania as Prince of Wales. He said that this year will mark the 25th anniversary of Charles III’s first visit to Romania in 1998.

The ambassador did not give details of the programme. He said that after a visit to the Cotroceni Palace, the residence of the Romanian head of state, the visit would be private. He reminded that the British monarch has a number of projects in Romania, which he is carrying out in cooperation with NGOs, and that he usually visits Romania to find out about them, which is also expected to happen this time.

Andrew Noble added that the British government also cooperates with NGOs in a number of areas and that as King Charles III, he could continue his activities in this area in consultation with the government.

However, this is a private visit, he stressed. He added that he would not give any more details, precisely in order not to compromise the private nature of the visit.

“One of Romania’s great advantages is its silence, so we treat (the king’s) private visits accordingly,”

Agerpres quoted the diplomat as saying.

Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca confirmed last Tuesday that Charles III, the monarch of the United Kingdom who was crowned in early May, will visit Romania on the second of June. He said that his cabinet, together with the presidential office and other institutions, would play a role in preparing for the visit.

As Prince Charles of Wales, he has been a regular visitor to Romania since 1998, buying several houses in Transylvania and a farm in Zalánpatac, Szeklerland, which he has visited almost every year.

The British royal family also has Hungarian roots in Transylvania: the king’s fair mother, Klaudia Rhédey, was born in 1812 in Erdőszentgyörgy in Mures County and was brought up in the Rhédey manor there.

As we wrote before, King Charles’s Hungarian cook shared secrets about his visits to Zalánpatak, details HERE.

President Novák’s Facebook post about the Szeklers outraged Romania

President Novák romania Szeklerland Csíksomlyó pelegrim

One of the biggest events of the Hungarian nation, the Csíksomlyó pilgrimage, was held over the weekend, and President of Hungary Katalin Novák was also among the attendees. The President is rather active on Facebook, and it seems that the Romanian Foreign Ministry is also watching her posts with a wary eye.

Katalin Novák’s followers were able to keep track of the main stops of her trip to Szeklerland. She also bowed her head at the tomb of the “greatest Szekler”, Balázs Orbán. On the Szék road from the Márton Áron College High School in Csíkszereda (Miercurea Ciuc) to Csíksomlyó (Șumuleu), Katalin Novák joined hundreds of thousands of other pilgrims on their journey to the Csíksomlyó Church of the Holy Cross, which then headed to the mountain range between Kis and Nagysomlyó, where they all attended the traditional mass of the farewell.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry, however, did not seem to be particularly pleased about the visit. Even though President Novák was on a private trip, they believed that she had conveyed inappropriate messages to the public, for instance, in regard of a historical region of Romania.

According to the Agerpres news agency, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has also contacted Hungary’s ambassador in Bucharest discussing the matter. In a statement, they expressed that they objected to the posts published on the Facebook page of Katalin Novák. Furthermore, they pointed out that the Romanian side has repeatedly warned Hungarian officials visiting Romania to exercise restraint, but this time they failed to do so.

The Romanian government believes that the problematic statements run counter to the common desire of promoting an amicable neighbourly rapport and maintaining cooperation between the two countries, which is sanctioned by the treaty signed in Timisoara (Temesvár) in 1996 and in another agreement signed on the strategic partnership between the two countries, Agerpres reported.

Bucharest apparently has an issue with the summary video, which shows all sorts of pictures and details of the farewell ceremony, with the Szekler anthem playing in the background.

 

The Szekler anthem has been the source of several conflicts in Romania over the years. What adds to the issue is that Katalin Novák gave the following title to the video she posted:

“Don’t let Transylvania be lost, our God” (“Ne hagyd elveszni Erdélyt, Istenünk”).

This must have been the “inappropriate” message concerning a historic region that the Romanian Foreign Ministry cited and objected to.

In 2022, the Hungaricum Committee decided to include the Szekler anthem in the Hungarian Heritage List, making it a national treasure.

If you want to learn more about the people living in Transylvania, check out this recent discovery that sheds light on the eastern origins of the Szeklers.

UPDATE

Sándor Palace: Romania’s protest over Hungary president’s Sumuleu Ciuc visit ‘exaggerated’

Why more than a thousand baskets of food are taken out on Easter Sunday in Szeklerland – photos

Csíkszereda food consecration on Easter Sunday

Every Easter Sunday, the largest traditional food consecration in the Carpathian Basin is held in Csíkszereda (Miercurea Ciuc), where thousands of people always gather.

One of the largest Hungarian-inhabited cities in Szeklerland, Csíkszereda, held the traditional Easter Sunday food consecration. The baskets containing ham, eggs, bread, and wine were blessed by retired auxiliary bishop József Tamás.

In 2020, only live streaming was available, while last year, the service was extended to include a cross, with the obligatory wearing of masks and a two-metre distance between the crosses.

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Discovery: Light shed on the eastern origins of the Szeklers

szekler székely búcsú kismányok

According to a new study, the population of Szeklers in the Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely) region is predominantly Central and South-Eastern European in composition, MTI reports, citing a statement by the Eötvös Loránd Research Network (Eötvös Loránd Kutatási Hálózat, ELKH). In the study, led by colleagues of the ELKH Humanities Research Centre Archeogenomics Institute (BTK AGI), ancestral paternal and maternal lineages were analysed.

The researchers evaluated the results using population genetics and phylogenetic methods in the context of modern and ancient populations geographically or historically related to Szekler, Origo reports. In a paper published in the journal Genes in January 2023, they published the first complete mitochondrial genomic database and detailed Y-chromosomal profiles from the region.

The villages

The experts examined samples from people whose ancestors came from this region and lived in villages around Odorheiu Secuiesc for generations. The sample collection took place in 2019 in the villages of Inlăceni (Énlaka), Firtănuș (Firtosmartonos), Ulieș (Kányád), Mugeni (Bögöz), Goagiu (Gagy), Avrămești (Szentábrahám), Cechești (Csekefalva), Dobeni (Székelydobó), Văleni (Patakfalva) and Forțeni (Farcád).

The history of the Szeklers can be traced back to the 12th century in the region. There are several scientific theories about their origins, 24.hu reports. Recent findings show a predominantly local, i.e. East-Central and South-East European, composition of the population, with moderate mixing with neighbouring populations.

European and some eastern genes

The researchers found a high degree of heterogeneity in both maternal (mitochondrial) and paternal (Y-chromosomal) genes within and between villages. Among both maternal and paternal lineages, they identified mainly European types in similar proportions. However, in both cases, some eastern lineages were also present.

Phylogenetic analyses have confirmed the presumed eastern origin of some maternal and paternal lines. And, in some cases, they can be linked to ancestral DNA data from the Migration Period (5th-9th century AD) and the Hungarian conquest period (10th century AD).

Dataset of Szeklers in line with previous studies

According to the experts, the current Szekler dataset complements previous studies in Szeklerland and is broadly consistent with their observations. They added that, in addition to revealing the genetic diversity of the present-day Szekler population, it is of great importance to investigate the genetic continuity or transformation between the present-day and ancient populations and to trace the population history of the Szekler people.

Bronze Age Sword Hungary USA Chicago
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King Charles’s Hungarian cook shared secrets about his visits in Zalánpatak

King Charles Zalánpatak visit

Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, found the Hungarian cook of King Charles III. Aunt Éva (Éva néni) is proud of the walking stick she received from the former Prince of Wales. She shared some secrets about the king’s visits to the tiny Hungarian village of Zalánpatak in Transylvania. She said they hoped the king would continue his visits to Transylvania, where locals would always welcome him. Here are some stories about Charles you probably never read before.

Zalánpatak, where the king bought a house

According to blikk.hu, Charles III visits a tiny Hungarian village in Central Romania if he seeks time and opportunity for recreation. He “fell in love” with a small Hungarian village, Zalánpatak, fifteen years ago. The village is at the end of a side road, in the middle of some beautiful forests where only the barking of the shepherd dogs disturbs tranquility.

96 percent of the locals are Hungarians, and the village looks as though time stopped there. The king bought an estate in the settlement years ago. He renewed it, but it remained a small farmhouse-like building with a beautiful garden with flowers and endemic trees and plants. Instead of numerous staff, there is only Aunt Éva. She is the cook but also does the washing up, the washing, and the administration.

Anybody can book a room in the house. Furthermore, you can even sleep in King Charles’s bed, and you only have to pay 100 EUR per night.

Hungarian relative King Charles III Count Tibor Kálnoky
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Locals shared some secrets about his visits

“I have known the prince since 2012. He visited us every year except the years of the pandemic. We met in May for the last time. He behaves simply, not flamboyantly. He has a good sense of humour, he is friendly, and his staff always thanks everything. He never goes to sleep without saying goodbye to us in the kitchen. We always wait for that”, the king’s Hungarian cook said.

Charles regularly arrives with 9-10 of his staff and in secret. Of course, locals know when he comes, so they swarm the entrance. But that never disturbed Charles. On the contrary, he shook the hands of the children and greets everybody. “He likes our village and finds our dishes attractive. I cook for him and he regularly tastes everything. His favourites are tomato soup and pörkölt. There is a small table in the back of the garden where he paints and draws. He likes wildflowers and takes long walks on the hills. He drinks tea at 5”, she added.

Even the king’s room is cheap

Blikk visited the king’s room, and they experienced the lack modernity, maybe for the lamp. “He respects traditions and likes to preserve what is old”, Éva said. She added the king always sleeps in one corner of the bed and puts the photos of his wife and children on the cabinet. He never brings too many clothes, only what he needs. There is always enough space for his clothes in the wardrobe, she told Blikk.

King Charles
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King Charles regularly organises parties inviting local musicians. Aunt Veronka, another local, said his father was one of the king’s favourites. They shook hands many times, and Charles adored how he played the violin. Sometimes he brought Veronka with him to sing some folk songs for Charles. She was surprised that Charles tasted every dish he was offered. He liked even the poppy seed polenta.

Charles bought another house in Szászfehéregyháza, another village close to Zalánpatak but populated by Romanians. He also supported the settlement to renew its buildings through his foundation. His house is like a museum in the village since he does not sleep there. Charles always visits his friend, Count Tibor Kálnoky’s mansion in Miklósvár.

A firm handshake

Zsolt Ambarus, the mansion’s manager, said the king had a firm handshake, worthy of a king. He was nice and direct. He also tried their apple pie and elderflower syrup. He has a room in the mansion, too. It is like the others, but its bathroom is a bit bigger and has a sauna and an ice machine inside.

Charles will not get rich from his Transylvanian estates. His room in his estate in Zalánpatak can be booked for 100 EUR per night. The entrance ticket to his other house in Szászfehéregyháza, operating as a museum, is 2.83 EUR. His suite in Miklósvár is more expensive. But it is also better equipped compared to his room in Zalánpatak. You can book it for 263 EUR per night.

Government: Hungary, Romania are engines of development

Government Potápi hussars

The only solution to the crisis in Europe is maintaining cooperation, the state secretary for policy for Hungarians across the borders told the Transylvania Economic Forum held in Targu Mures (Marosvásárhely) on Saturday.

In his welcoming address, Árpád János Potápi said the Russia-Ukraine war and the European response to it “made economic development impossible” in Europe at a time when Hungary, Romania and the region had become the engine of that development. The region saw a high rate of development, falling unemployment and growing wages before the war, he said.

Hungary has used economic development as a policy to boost national cohesion, by supporting training and organised mentor programmes in Hungarian communities across the borders, he said.

Centre for Hungarian children Slovenia
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Besides the development schemes, the government continues to support entrepreneurs in an attempt to create a community and network strengthening ethnic Hungarian communities across the borders, he said.

Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Hunor Kelemen of the ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ party said the war, “which seemed regional at first”, shook the foundations of European economy, prompting states to interfere with market trends to protect their citizens and companies. The disruption of global supply chains makes it likely that world economy will be reconstructed on a regional level in the case of a ceasefire, he said.

“A crisis is always an opportunity for those able to think flexibly, innovatively and creatively,” he said. Sharing knowledge and experience among entrepreneurs of the Carpathian Basin is a good way to find those opportunities, he said.

paprika
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Romanian billionaire says he would punch PM Orbán in the head – VIDEO

romanian_billionaire_viktor_orbán_gigi_becali

“If Orbán dares to do something, I will hit him in the head” – Gigi Becali, a Romanian billionaire, said at a press conference this week. Mr Becali is the owner of the FC Steaua București, the Romanian capital’s emblematic football team. Steaua won the UEFA Champions League in 1986. It was the first Eastern European team to do so. At the press conference, he slammed PM Viktor Orbán and the Sepsi OSK, a football team based in Szeklerland’s “capital” Sepsiszentgyörgy. The team’s players are mostly Hungarians.

Controversial property exchange business

According to mandiner.hu, the Romanian billionaire was quoted to say that they held Sepsi “under the guillotine. If I see that the Sepsi OSK is getting stronger, I invest ten million euros” – Becali added. The Romanian businessman acquired his first millions of dollars from a controversial real estate exchange with the Romanian Army in the 1990s. 

The deal consisted of Becali giving the army a 21.5-hectare plot in Ștefăneștii de Jos (about 15 km from Bucharest) in exchange for a 20.9-hectare plot in Băneasa-Pipera, in Northern Bucharest. As the real estate prices skyrocketed in the capital, he sold the land to some companies that built residential areas – Wikipedia writes. With his money, he acquired 51% of the shares of FC Steaua București in 2003.

Sepsi OSK: a Hungarian team?

According to Főtér.ro, the former shepherd and MEP invited the press to his palace to announce the Steaua’s new coach, Nicolae Dică. Furthermore, he slammed the Sepsi OSK, which he thinks is supported by the Hungarian government. By the way, PM Viktor Orbán watched the team’s match with NK Olimpija Ljubljana last week before his speech in Tusványos. The duel’s stake was to advance into the UEFA Europa Conference League, and the Sepsi OSK won 3-1.

The Sepsi OSK is regarded as Hungarian since most of its players are Hungarians. Moreover, its base is in Sepsiszentgyörgy, a city in Central Romania populated 77% by Hungarians. The team won the Romanian Cup and the Supercup this year.

“If Orbán dares to do anything, I will hit him in the head. Paff, down with Sepsi!”

Becali slammed Orbán and the football team hard at the press conference:

  •  If the Sepsi OSK advances to Liga 1, he will invest 10 million euros to stop further successes.
  • “I do not let the Hungarians go to the FCSB [Steaua Bucharest]. They will never play in a Romanian team.”
  • “If Orbán dares to do anything, I will hit him in the head. Paff, down with Sepsi!”
  • “We hold Sepsi under the guillotine. If I see that the Sepsi OSK gets stronger, I will invest 10 million euros.“
  • “We will destroy everything in connection with the Sepsi OSK. I will only invest money in football if Sepsi ascends. I will not let [them] win the Romanian championships.“
  • “We have to keep Orbán at the end of the line. I will only go to the tribune if the Sepsi OSK gets stronger with Orbán. I guarantee that the Sepsi OSK will not raise its head. If the Sepsi or the Csíkszereda [another Hungarian city and its football team in Central Romania] raised their heads, I would invest a lot of money.”

If you understand Romanian, you can listen to Becali’s press conference below: