Csaba Sógor in the EP: The report of the US State Department criticises minority protection in Romania
The US State Department’s annual Country Report on Human Rights brings serious criticism to Romania in regards to the situation of the Hungarian minority – pointed out MEP Csaba Sógor during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg. In the opinion of the RMDSZ MEP, president Klaus Johannis’s statement, according to which Romania is a model state in terms of minority protection, is simply unrealistic.
In his speech Csaba Sógor brought up details of the Washington document, pointing out that the restitution of church properties has been brought to a halt, while in some cases we can even witness a renationalisation of goods. „Furthermore, it determines that authorities of the state have hindered the use of minority symbols, such as the Szekler Flag, and despite laws in force, the use of the mother tongues in public administration, healthcare and the judiciary is not guaranteed.
The documents points out that a court of appeals rejected the registration request of an association seeking to promote the historically ethnic-Hungarian region of Szeklerland as a tourist destination. The court upheld the decision of the lower-level Mureș Tribunal on the grounds that Szeklerland was being defined along ethnic lines, which, according to the courts, is not permitted in the country. The court acknowledged that other historic regions of the country could be promoted as tourist destinations because they were not defined along ethnic lines and their existence as tourist areas could be recognized for other reasons” – stated the MEP.
The RMDSZ MEP also said that several other critiques lead to the conclusion that the issues of the Hungarian community in Romania - the issues of 1.2 million citizens - warrant attention, as the Romanian authorities regard this community not as a partner but as a potential threat.
