Article by Remus Dinu – published on Thursday, 08 May 2025 21:32 / Updated Thursday, May 08, 2025 22:36
Nicușor Dan and George Simion, The finalists in the race for Cotroceniparticipated, on Thursday evening, at the post Euronewsat the first presidential debate before the second round of the elections, scheduled on May 18. When the two candidates were asked about the ethnic conflicts inside the Szekler land, which concern the Hungarian minority in Romania, Simion and Nicușor Dan had different approaches.
Beyond the discussions about the economy, the collapse of the lion, the union with Bessarabia, the belonging to the EU and NATO or the support given to Ukraine in the war of aggression triggered by Russia, Nicușor Dan and George Simion were facing the controversies regarding the rights of the Hungarian minorities in Romania, including the Public of the Public Star, delicate, which has also targeted the world of sport in recent years.
George Simion and Nicușor Dan, ask about the rights of the Hungarian minorities in Romania and the Szekler Land
The journalist Monica Mihai from Euronews was the one who launched the question of the two finalists:
“In the context of the relationship with our neighbor from the West, Hungary, what guarantees do you offer to the Hungarian minority in Romania that he will be able to freely manifest his national identity and if you are the right to fly the flag of the Szekler County at local cultural or sporting events?”
The first to respond, according to the protocol was Nicușor Dan:
“I believe that Romania is a model of good practices towards its minorities, including the Hungarian minority. And I believe that a symbol of a territorial autonomy should not be allowed at public manifestations”, It was the answer provided by the general mayor of the capital.
Immediately it was his turn George Simion to take the word:
“They need to understand all the Ethnic Hungarians that they are good citizens of Romania and we must leave those who are free to go to the garbage box of history.
There are people who do not want the good of the Hungarian community in Romania and They want to go in the same direction that Emmanuel Macron goes and all the globalists in Brussels instead of going in the conservative direction, Healthy, to which a majority of the Hungarian people, the Romanian people adhere. The Hungarian people have other obstacles in front, other challenges and we must be united in front of these challenges with common positions.
I respect the prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, and that is why many of his positions – not all – will be state policy in Romania! I mean to those who think that they can continue to be linked from this witness – the conflict between Romanians and Hungarians – I mean that their time has passed.
Now is the time of a Europe of nations, a Christian Europe, in which we will fight for our right to be European citizens. ANDI both Romanians and Hungarians are full -right citizens of the European Union”Simion said, at a time when the political leaders in the mentioned areas, including the mayor of Sfântu Gheorghe, close to Sepsi, urged the voters to opt for Nicușor Dan in the presidential final.
Nicușor Dan and George Simion, at the Euronews debate
Nicușor Dan, to Simion: “The galleries chanted slogans against the Hungarian minority. Mr. Simion was there?”
According to the rules imposed in this debate, Nicușor Dan benefited from a right to reply, so he could ask a question to his counter-candidate:
“Years in a row, several football galleries have chanted slogans against the Hungarian minority in Romania. I want to ask Mr. Simion if he was there“, Nicușor Dan's question rang, with a direct reference to Simion's past on the stadiums in Romania.
The response of the Candidate Gold? “I want to remind Mr. Nicușor Dan that in 2000 he had public positions against the LGBT minority And that we are now in other positions and it is clear what we send to all the minorities in our country … as possible presidents, we must respect all our fellow citizens. “
The tree of the flag of the Szekler County in Harghita, Covasna or Mureș has triggered multiple controversies in the Romanian sport, the subject being recently approached by the Sports Gazette. Including Csikszereda, a newly promoted team in Superliga, was at the center of such contradictory discussions.
What is the Szekler land
The so-called Szekler land is a territory of Covasna, Harghita and part of Mureș county, the counties with the highest Hungarian ethnic population: Harghita (85.2%), Covasna (73.7%), Mureș (38.1%). The Hungarian ethnicity in the Szekler Land advocate for increased autonomy towards the other provinces, But the central authorities, from Bucharest, consider that the claims are contrasting and do not take any territorial autonomy project on ethnic basis.
