Hungary FM: Transylvanian Hungarians Must Have a Voice in Decisions Affecting Them

Transylvanian Hungarians have the means to send strong representatives to Bucharest, ensuring that decisions affecting them are not made without their involvement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in Miercurea Ciuc on Friday, during an election campaign event for the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ).

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Hunor Kelemen, chairman - and presidential candidate - of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), at the With Common Sense! campaign event in Miercurea Ciuc. (Photo: MTI)

Together with Hunor Kelemen, RMDSZ's president and presidential candidate, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto participated in a sold-out panel discussion titled With Common Sense at the Csiki Cinema.

Rámutatott: 

Mr. Szijjarto highlighted that 

Hungary–Romania relations have improved in recent years, with Romania profiting from periods when the RMDSZ was part of the government, something that's been confirmed by several Romanian interlocutors.

"I noticed a major shift in Romanian political attitudes towards Hungary when Romanian society recognized that RMDSZ had stabilized the operation of Romania's government and political system. RMDSZ delivered exceptional professional performance, and in the areas where it provided ministers, directors, or leaders, Romania excelled, which in turn benefited Romanian citizens. To their credit, Romanian politicians not only acknowledged this, but began openly stating it," Mr. Szijjarto explained.

Discussing the mechanics of creating a nation-centered policy, he emphasized that the Hungarian government does not intend to dictate from Budapest what is best for Hungarians living abroad. Instead, representatives of Hungarian national communities should outline what type of support they need from the motherland, and it's the "absolute duty" of any Hungarian government to fulfill these requests to the greatest extent possible, within the available means.

That's the reason why - even despite the challenges of war, sanctions, and inflation - the government has't allowed support for Hungarian communities abroad to fall victim to inflation-mitigating measures.

He explained that the economic development programs for Hungarian communities living abroad were initiated by their own representatives. To date, the government has provided support worth 85 billion forints to 6,084 small and medium-sized enterprises, resulting in investments totaling 170 billion forints in areas where Hungarian communities reside.

I think part of the Romanian political elite understands that this is a win-win situation: jobs are created locally, taxes are paid locally, and supply opportunities expand locally. I think this is an effective tool for strengthening our nation and its communities, as well as cooperation between the country of residence and the motherland,

– Mr. Szijjarto stated. 

Hunor Kelemen confirmed that it is up to the Hungarian community to ensure that RMDSZ remains an active player. He urged Transylvanian Hungarians to vote for Hungarian candidates on November 24 and December 1.

This tool - our alliance - is ours to use, because we are not the end but the means. And the way we can use it is by being delegated into the parliament,

– the RMDSZ chief explained. Mr. Kelemen added that while mistakes are human, there is no room for error in certain political situations, as poor decisions can result in irreversible damage.

As an example, he cited the opposition's proposal to create oversized counties (administrative regions - ed.), a move that, if not blocked, could lead to political subjugation and severe consequences for the Hungarian community.

He also warned that weakening the Hungarian community’s representation in the Romanian parliament would have similarly irreparable consequences.

To improve Hungary–Romania relations, Mr. Kelemen suggested focusing on issues that can be addressed jointly. He expressed gratitude to Mr. Szijjarto for Hungary’s consistent support of Romania’s bid for Schengen membership during its EU presidency. He also called for Romania to play a role in the Western Balkans and advocated for a Central European coalition involving the countries of the V4, Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria. Such a coalition, he argued, could serve as a "wake-up call" for the broader continent.

In the competition where America and China are vying for economic dominance, being a distant third essentially means falling behind. Donald Trump's election has created an opportunity - a narrow window - that won’t stay open for long, during which the European Union can rethink some of the mistakes it's made in recent years,

– Mr. Kelemen observed.

FM Szijjarto emphasized that Mr. Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential race offers an unprecedented opportunity for peace to return to Central Europe. He criticized Europe’s pro-war forces for their inability to accept the ousting of America’s pro-war leadership from the White House, as evidenced by the disgraceful double standards exhibited by the Brussels mainstream in their response to the election results.

If a patriotic, right-wing, conservative, Christian democratic, and pro-peace force wins in a country, then they immediately question the legitimacy of democracy and the people’s judgment. However, if the liberals win, they swiftly declare that democracy has never been in a better shape in that country, praising the people for their fantastic decision,

– Mr. Szijjarto remarked, citing Brussels' contrasting reactions to the Georgian and Moldovan election results, as examples. In his view, recent elections across various countries have seen the advancement of patriotic, pro-peace forces, while pro-war politicians - who view nations as outdated concepts - have been losing ground.

Based on this trend, Hungary's foreign minister expressed confidence that Hungariy–U.S. ties will be in an even better shape than during their best "period” between 2016 and 2020.

Cover Photo: Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Hunor Kelemen, chairman - and presidential candidate - of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), at the With Common Sense! campaign event in Miercurea Ciuc (Photo: MTI)