Our organization once again draws attention to the political initiatives of recent days, which clearly demonstrate AUR’s nationalist and anti-Hungarian attitudes, as well as the party’s attempts to undermine the institutional foundations of the democratic representation of the Hungarian community in Romania and the exercise of its cultural identity.
One such initiative is the draft law aimed at abolishing the alternative electoral threshold. In addition, a proposal to change the name of Băile Bálványos has been placed on the agenda, while the symbolic anti-Hungarian action at the Praid salt mine is another alarming manifestation of a full-scale attack against the Hungarian community, taking place simultaneously in the political and symbolic spheres.
Our organization learned with concern that AUR had submitted a draft law to the Senate proposing the abolition of the alternative electoral threshold. The amendment initiated by Petrișor Peiu, leader of the AUR parliamentary group in the Senate, would retain only the nationwide 5 percent electoral threshold in parliamentary elections, eliminating the alternative possibility of entering Parliament provided by the current legislation.
Under the provisions of Law No. 208/2015 currently in force, a party can also obtain parliamentary representation if it receives at least 20 percent of the votes cast in at least four counties. Abolishing this possibility could directly endanger the parliamentary presence of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ/UDMR) and significantly restrict the political representation and advocacy opportunities of the Hungarian community in Romania.
Our organization considers it particularly alarming that such an initiative makes the future of the Hungarian community’s parliamentary representation more uncertain. AUR’s draft law would result in a transformation of the electoral rules and is, in fact, a law specifically targeting the RMDSZ. Needless to say, its aim is to make the political representation of Hungarians in Romania impossible.
The submission of the draft law clearly indicates that the modification of electoral rules has become an issue directly affecting the political representation of the Hungarian community. Our organization therefore considers it particularly important that the public closely follow the legislative process. We firmly believe that it is the duty of a democratic state governed by the rule of law to protect the rights and political representation of minority communities, rather than undermine them.
Furthermore, another nationalist provocation that caused indignation and alarm within the Hungarian community took place in Harghita County in recent days: an AUR delegation placed a Romanian flag at the entrance of the closed Praid salt mine over the weekend. In a video recording of the action, Member of Parliament Lucian Mușat declared: “We are in Romania, not in Hungary,” thereby linking the issue of the salt mine to the question of national belonging.
In the view of our organization, the use of national symbols should not become an instrument of confrontation between communities or of creating political tensions. The Hungarian community in Romania consists of equal citizens of the Romanian state, who have the right to preserve their mother tongue, culture and national identity. It is particularly alarming when the consequences of a local natural disaster are used to convey political attacks and messages with an ethnic character.
We would also like to draw attention to another legislative initiative by AUR, which aims to rename Băile Bálványos, a well-known resort in Covasna County. According to the proposal, the name of the locality would be changed to “Bălvăniș.”
The amendment initiated by eight AUR senators once again highlights the important role geographical names play in preserving the historical and cultural identity of local communities. For the Hungarian community as well, the names of localities form an integral part of cultural heritage and collective memory.
According to Erika Benkő, head of the Mikó Imre Legal Protection Service: “AUR has once again remained true to itself and has launched a full-scale attack against the Hungarian community. Both in the political and symbolic spheres, Hungarians are constantly being used as political targets, and I fear that, amid the negative atmosphere prevailing in the country, they will succeed in inciting hostility against Hungarians. The country is undoubtedly facing an economic and political crisis, and AUR is using this situation to gain political capital by turning people’s dissatisfaction against Hungarians. In times of crisis, presenting a clearly identifiable enemy always becomes important. It is extremely important that our community act in a coordinated and united manner against such provocations and political attacks.”