The Úz Valley cemetery conflict between Hungary and Romania to escalate?

Romanian nationalists aiming to inaugurate an illegally erected memorial in the WWII cemetery of Úz Valley attacked Hungarians protecting the cemetery’s entrance. The Romanian government claims that nothing violent happened while Budapest says that it is outrageous that Romanian authorities could not protect Hungarian citizens and allowed nationalists to destroy and desecrate the cemetery.

Hungary vs Romania again

The attack was condemned by the Hungarian government, opposition parties Jobbik – Movement for a Better Hungary and Our Home Movement and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ). Hungarian President János Áder called the incident offensive, illegal and immoral and added that it

violated international agreements.

The Hungarian People’s Party of Transylvania and the Hungarian Civic Party both filed a complaint against unknown persons. Many think in Transylvania that the incident is very similar to what happened in the Black March of 1990 in Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureș when Romanian nationalists attacked Hungarian civilians demonstrating peacefully for the rights of the Hungarian ethnic community living in Transylvania.

Here you can watch what happened:

Kronika.ro, a Hungarian news outlet of Transylvania wrote on Friday that the commander of the gendarmerie that could not inhibit the clash between Romanian nationalists and Hungarian civilians at Úz valley was Sebastian Cucoș, chief of staff of the unit. Many Hungarian news outlets say that, based on the photos, it seems that

instead of protecting the legal order

he was organising the attack of the Romanian nationalists. Furthermore, he was the commander of the gendarmerie during the Bucharest anti-government protests of August when Romanian football ultras and authorities clashed. Suspicions were raised that he cooperated with the ultras intentionally to provoke a conflict and so be able to use tear gas and nightstick against peacefully demonstrating citizens. An investigation regarding the issue is currently in progress.

The ministry is to take control

Romanian minister for interior, Carmen Dan, said that the Romanian gendarmerie fulfiled its task because it could hinder possible clashes between Romanians and Hungarians and no graves were desecrated. She added that they regard it as a success that even though both sides mobilised ultras and radicals, nobody got injured. She emphasised without saying names that