Geography:
The majority of the Hungarian People in Romania live in the western part of the country, in the region of Transylvania. The area is bordered by the Carpathian Mountains to the east and the south, by the Ukraine to the north, by Hungary to the west and former Yugoslavia to the south-west.

 
People:
Population:

According to the last Romanian census (2002) 1,431,807 citizens (6.6 percent of the total population of Romania) consider themselves Hungarians. Hungarians in Romania constitute 20 % of the population of Transylvania and they form a majority in the Szekler Region (the counties of Hargita and Kovászna). Of the 22 ethnic minorities in Romania, Hungarians make up the largest minority.

Language:
Hungarian.

Culture and religion:

The majority (98%) of the Hungarian minority is western Christian (51,7% Calvinists, 41,2% Catholics and 5,1% Neo-protestants).

Economy:

Transylvania is one of the most economically advanced regions of Romania; it is rich in mineral resources, notably lignite, iron, lead, manganese, gold, copper, natural gas, salt, and sulphur. There are large iron and steel, chemical, and textile industries. Stock raising, agriculture, wine production, and fruit growing are important occupations. Timber is another valuable resource. Transylvania accounts for around 35% of Romania's GDP, and has a GDP per capita (PPP) of around $8,500, around 7,5% higher than the Romanian average.

History:

Brief History

16th-17th century Transylvania was an independent Hungarian state.
18th century The Hungarians were no longer a majority as they were outnumbered by the Romanians.

1919 Romania, in the framework of the Treaty of Peace signed the convention undertaken to secure the rights of the national minorities that live on its territory.
1920 Transylvania was incorporated into Romania.

1989 The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania was founded.

1995 A basic treaty on the relations between Hungary and Romania was signed. In the treaty Hungary renounces claims to Romania territory and Romania promises to respect the rights of its 2 million ethnic Hungarians.

1996/2000/2004 The Romanian presidential and parliamentary elections resulted in the presence of the DAHR in the Romanian government, where 2 ministers represented it. The DAHR also participated and was elected at the elections of 2000 and 2004.

2004 DAHR president Béla Markó was elected Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Education, Cultural and European Integration.

Historical background

The Hungarians first entered Transylvania in the late 9th century. Until the early 20th century, Hungarians historically constituted the dominant political nation in Transylvania. Although being an integral part of the Hungarian crown lands, Transylvania was organized as a semi- autonomous duchy for an extended period.

Hungarians largely staffed its local government and representative institutions. In the 16th and 17th century, Transylvania acquired a certain degree of independence. At that time its own elected Hungarian princes who significantly promoted Transylvanian-Hungarian literature and culture ruled it.


Interbellum 1918-1944 In the framework of the Treaty of Peace that followed the
First World War, on December 9th, 1919 Romania signed the convention undertaking to secure the rights of the national minorities that live on the claimed territories. By signing the convention, Romania facilitated the decision of the victorious powers, thus the contract of Trianon signed on June 4th, 1920 sanctioned the new frontiers of the state.

The fact that the National Assembly of Alba Iulia had proclaimed (December 1st, 1918) the basic principles for both the creation of the new Romanian state and the rights of the national minorities in a single document meant a political guaranty in Romania's judgment. The document took into account the traditional ethnic and religious tolerance of Transylvania, the multi-secular collective rights of the Seclars and Saxons living in compact blocks (until 1848 the ethnic Saxons had political autonomy, after 1867 a religious and cultural autonomy). The third point of the Proclamation declares as basic principles: "1. Total national freedom for all co-inhabiting peoples. All peoples, through individuals belonging to each respective nationality, will use their own language in public education, public administration and the administration of justice.

All peoples will have the right to proportionate representation in legislation and the governing of the country. 2. Equal legal rights and total denominational freedom for all the country's denominations."
Up to the present day the Romanian historiography considers, the Alba Iulia Declaration the legal base of the formation of the new Romanian state and the 1991 Constitution confirms it by declaring December 1st the National Holiday of Romania.
Nevertheless, in questions concerning national minorities the Romanian state pursued a policy that was contradictory to the initially declared intentions.

The 1923 Constitution declared the country a unitary national state; it hardly treated the national problem, although by guaranteeing individual human rights, it can be still considered the most liberal fundamental law of Romania. The 1938 Statute of Minorities had no legal force.

It contained only the political guidelines concerning the nationality question. The National Hungarian Party, which after 1922 participated in 9 elections and in 1928 was the second largest party of the Romanian Parliament also urged that the grievances of the national minorities be settled through the League of Nations (Népszövetség). The ethnic Hungarians made a complaint against the illegal expropriation of lands, the dismissal of the Hungarian civil servants, the nationalization of cultural institutions, the textbooks abusing the Hungarian nation and the restrictions
on the use of the mother tongue.

In the latter case they found injurious the suppression of Hungarian publications, the prohibition of using Hungarian signboards and the interdiction of using Hungarian geographical names in mass media. In this period the Catholic and the Calvinist churches tried to accomplish their safeguarding role leaning on the properties that had not been nationalized (especially their schools) and on the generosity of the believers.

Public contributions ensured the continuity of the Hungarian cultural life lacking any financial support from the government. In 1940 the 2nd Dictate of Vienna adjudged the northern part of Transylvania to Hungary. This decision was another convulsion for the population living on this territory.

From Southern Transylvania 200.000 Hungarians and from Northern Transylvania just as many Romanians took refuge on the other side of the frontier. This fact, as well as the atrocities committed during the War and the repressive measures taken against the civil population had left indelible marks in the memory of the Romanian, Hungarian and German population. Afterwards this became the most important breeding ground for the nationalistic propaganda The Communist Era 1945-1989.

In this time the constitution provided equal right for the Hungarians in all fields of economic, political, juridical, social and cultural life and specifically guaranteed free use of their native language and the right to have education in their mother tongue. This together with the establishment of a Hungarian autonomous region (1952) turned out to be an empty gesture and masked the true nature of the relations between state and minorities. In 1965, a new constitution proclaimed Romania a socialist unitary state. Thereafter, the country’s multinational character was largely ignored.

The regime of Ceausescu maintained the appearance of minority representation at all levels of government. In reality, minorities had little power or influence. After the Second World War Romania’s industry started to grow steadily. This modernization process affected the Hungarians negatively.

Most of the Hungarians were inhabiting the cities of Transylvania and were more economically advanced than the mostly peasant Romanian Majority. As the needs of industrialization brought more and more peasants from the countryside to the factories, the ethnic composition of Transylvania’s cities shifted. Amidst the controversy, the Hungarian minority of Transylvania was considered an instrument of the Hungarian government, further ensuring their second-class citizenship status. Expressions of concern for the treatment of this minority, whether originating inside or outside Romania, were branded "chauvinistic, revanchist, and irredentist."

The regime increasingly limited contacts and cultural links between Hungary and Romanian Hungarians. After 1974, regulations forbade all foreign travellers except close family members to stay overnight in private homes. Violators placed their hosts at risk of fines amounting to as much as one year's salary.

Romanian Hungarians found it difficult to obtain newspapers and journals from Hungary, and the Department of State Security, the secret police, monitored the reception of Hungarian radio and television broadcasts and the placement of long-distance calls to Hungary. Significantly, the pervasive State Security employed few minority citizens. Arguably the changes under communism that most grievously affected ethnic minorities were those that limited education in their native languages.

In the first decade of communist rule, students could acquire an education at Hungarian-language schools from preschool to university and at German-language schools from preschool to high school. These schools had their own administration and a long tradition of humanistic education; many were 300 to 500 years old.

But already in 1948 some of the policies of the new regime had begun to weaken national minority education. A purge and "re-education" of faculty in all educational institutions was carried out. From that time forward, only teachers deemed politically reliable filled important teaching positions. At the same time, nationalization of all ecclesiastical and private schools destroyed the traditionally important role of the church in the Hungarian and German educational systems.

Although the goal of the Ceausescu regime was national homogenization and an ethnically pure Romania, the regime opposed the emigration of ethnic minorities. Beginning in the late 1970’s. Prospective emigrants were likely to be fired from their jobs or demoted to positions of lower prestige and pay. They were often evicted from their homes and publicly castigated. At the same time, they were denied medical care and other social benefits, and their children were not permitted to enrol in schools.

In the late 1980’s ancient minorities clung to their cultural roots and the majority were reluctant to consider emigration. Although neither Hungary nor Romania wanted the minority to decrease, thousand of refugees crossed into Hungary.

With the fall of the communist government in 1989, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (DAHR) was founded to represent the interests of Romania's Hungarian minority and to aid the process of democratic transformation in Romania.

Current situation 1989-

After the results obtained during the 1990, 1992, 1996 and 2000 elections, the DAHR became a major factor in Romania's political life. By taking part in the legislature (12 senators, 27 deputies) it has assumed a difficult role in strengthening Romania's democratic system of institutions and in fulfilling the general economic and social reform.

It has thus contributed to greater political and economic stability in the country and the region as a whole. At the same time, one of the major tasks of the DAHR continues to be the affirmation of the respect of internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Hungarian community within the framework of the constitutional order.

At the 2000 elections the DAHR obtained the fifth place both in the presidential (6.22%) and parliamentary elections (6.9% for the Senate and 6.8% for the Chamber of Deputies). These results show that the DAHR remains the legitimate organization that protects and represents the interests of the Hungarian community in Romania. The success of the DAHR was reflected also in the results of the 2000 local elections when 148 mayors, 135 county counsellors and 2451 local counsellors obtained seats.

In the 2004 elections the DAHR collected slightly less votes, nonetheless they became part of the governing coalition. DAHR president Béla Markó was elected Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Education, Cultural and European Integration. Holding this strategic portfolio Marko directly initiated the working on a minority law. The draft minority law regulates all aspects of the right to the use of mother tongue and the right to education and culture in mother tongue.

Besides the provision of principle, the law concretely defines those national minorities that can be regarded as traditional and historical minorities in Romania due to their long-lasting co-existence with the Romanian
majority. The most important element of the draft is the establishment of a legal framework for the practice of cultural autonomy.


Organizations:
The Hungarian Minority in Romania are represented in UNPO by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (DAHR). Their goal is to achieve local government, cultural and territorial autonomy and the right to self-determination. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania is a member of the European Democratic Union (EDU) and an associated member of the European People’s Party (EPP).

Statistics: