MINELRES: Romania: Ethnic Minority Briefs No. 61
MINELRES moderator
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Wed Jul 2 14:06:59 2003
Divers Buletin <[email protected]>
No. 61 / June 30, 2003
DIVERS
- reporting ethnic diversity -
SUMMARY
1. HUNGARY AMENDS STATUS LAW
2. OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROMANIA�S CENSUS
3. PRIME MINISTER DEEMS IN ROMANIA ULTRA- NATIONALISM IS A MARGINAL
TREND
4. DIFFICULTIES AT EXAMINATION IN ROMANIAN LANGUAGE FOR ETHNIC HUNGARIAN
STUDENTS
5. FORMER HUNGARIAN PM AWARDED PRIZE OF "TOKES LASZLO" FOUNDATION
REPORT
6. ROMA ARE EUROPE�S FASTEST GROWING, POOREST MINORITY
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HUNGARY AMENDS STATUS LAW
BUDAPEST - The Hungarian parliament has amended a controversial law
which grants work, health and travel benefits to ethnic Hungarians
living in neighboring countries. The Socialist-led government removed
several key aspects in the so-called Status Law, including a reference
to a "unified Hungarian nation" spanning borders, according to Budapest
Sun weekly.
The amendments to the law were supported by 195 members of Hungarian
parliament, while 173 deputies from opposition parties rejected the
changes. "With Hungary close to joining the European Union, we cannot
disregard the EU's legal system," Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo
Kovacs said before the vote.
Romania and Slovakia, both home to large Hungarian minorities, say the
law discriminates against other ethnic groups and interferes with their
sovereignty as it allows Budapest to give aid to about three million
people on the basis of their being ethnic Hungarians. Correspondents say
Hungary made the changes to the law in an attempt to make it conform
with European Union guidelines, after the law had been criticized by
Brussels.
A large majority in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) backed a resolution on 25 June criticizing Hungary for failing to
consult with its neighbors on the recently amended Status Law. The
report, drafted by rapporteur Erik Juergens, was adopted by PACE
representatives with 95 votes in favor, 11 against, and 10 abstentions.
The resolution urges Hungary to make further changes to the law and to
make its implementation subject to bilateral agreements. Juergens told
the assembly that the amendments to the law adopted by the Hungarian
parliament on 24 June are "a step forward," but stressed that the Status
Law still poses a big problem insofar as neighboring states have
objected to it. Hungary is set to join the EU next year - while several
of its neighbors will remain outside. Under the Status Law - introduced
in 2001 - ethnic Hungarians living in Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia
and Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia are entitled to work in Hungary for
a limited period, health treatment and educational aid. Hungary lost
two-thirds of its territory under the 1920 Trianon Treaty after World
War I, and about three million ethnic Hungarians now live outside their
historic homeland. (DIVERS)
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OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROMANIA�S CENSUS
BUCHAREST - Romania's population has dropped by nearly one million
people over the last 10 years, up to a level registered back in 1977,
according to the final statistics data of population census carried out
last March, the National Statistics Board (INS) informs. On March 18,
2002, Romanian population was of 21,680,974 people, with an average
density of 90.9 people per square kilometer. From the point of view of
ethnicities, 89.5 percent of the people declared themselves Romanians,
6.6 percent Magyar, 2.5 percent Romany, while Germans and Ukrainians
account for 0.3 percent each. However, 91 percent named Romanian as
their native language and 6.7 percent said Hungarian is their first
language. (DIVERS)
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PRIME MINISTER DEEMS IN ROMANIA ULTRA- NATIONALISM IS A MARGINAL TREND
BUCHAREST � Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase on June 20 denounced
ultra-nationalism and populism as a way of action used by some parties
from Romania, within previous electoral campaigns. Thus, in the past
campaigns ultra-nationalism was one of the directions adopted by some
parties, relying on external-danger messages such as: "Hungarians want
to steal our Transylvania, the idea of setting up barricade around the
country, helping us to get protected", said Nastase. After Romania�s
accessing to NATO, such a message is no longer possible, the PM added.
He indicated that Romania and Hungary at present are partners within
security alliance and such themes can no longer be invoked. (DIVERS)
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DIFFICULTIES AT EXAMINATION IN ROMANIAN LANGUAGE FOR ETHNIC HUNGARIAN
STUDENTS
MIERCUREA CIUC � Topics for oral examination at Romanian language and
literature subject of baccalaureate exam raised problems to the
candidates of Hungarian ethnicity from Harghita (central Romania), many
of them without being able to understand or give good interpretation to
the text at first sight. The inspector of Romanian language and
literature within County School Inspectorate (IJS) Harghita, Stelian
Busuioc, stated that students of Hungarian ethnicity "faced difficulties
because the text at first sight was made up of phrases which they did
not understand and barely could they classify the text into a particular
style of elaboration ". According to the inspector of Romanian language,
the students of Magyar ethnicity "do not hold rich vocabulary, do not
lead communication in Romanian language within their families or with
their friends and this is why they met difficulties ". (DIVERS)
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FORMER HUNGARIAN PM AWARDED PRIZE OF "TOKES LASZLO" FOUNDATION
ORADEA � At reformat church from Kisvar, former Hungarian Premier Orban
Viktor on June 22 was granted the prize of "Tokes Laszlo" Foundation,
awarded for the tenth time this year, according to MTI. The leadership
board of the Foundation grants the prize for praiseworthy actions in
confirming Magyar nation and for exceptional accomplishments led in
Magyars benefit. In case of Orban Viktor, three elements stood for the
reason: on the occasion of celebrating the establishment of Hungarian
State, he relived the national feelings worldwide; he instituted the
Hungarian ID, as illustration of affiliation to Magyar nation; he
succeeded in persuading historical churches of the necessity to
represent the national idea by Christian spirit. (DIVERS)
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REPORT
ROMA ARE EUROPE�S FASTEST GROWING, POOREST MINORITY
WASHINGTON - Roma in Europe face poverty rates more than 10 times higher
than non-Roma, says a new report by the World Bank, released just before
a Budapest conference on the continent's largest minority.
The 148-page document provides insights on the situation of Roma in the
Eastern and Central European countries of Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and
the Slovak Republic, drawing on data the Bank says it compiled over the
last three years.
For example, nearly 80 percent of Roma -- formerly known as Gypsies --
in Bulgaria and Romania live on the equivalent of less than 4.30 U.S.
dollars per day, says thhe document.
�The complex cycle of Roma poverty is one of the most critical remaining
issues on the agenda for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe as
they prepare for European Union (EU) membership,� said World Bank
President James Wolfensohn in a statement released with the report.
According to 'Roma in an Expanding Europe: Breaking the Poverty Cycle',
the causes of poverty among the seven to nine million Roma include lack
of access to education, health and employment, along with exclusion from
the political process.
Roma children, it says, have a much lower school attendance rate than
non-Roma. In Romania, for instance, an estimated 44 percent of Roma men
and 59 percent of Roma women were illiterate in 1992. The education and
literacy gap between Roma and non-Roma leads to difficulties on the job
market.
Discrimination is another problem, according to the report. �If his
Bulgarian name is Angel or Ivan or Stoyan or Dragan, he'll get all the
application forms and be asked to come in. As soon as they realise he's
Gypsy, Roma, he's turned down, they lower their voices and tell him to
come some other time. When your name is Bulgarian and they see you are a
Gypsy, they throw you out,� says a Roma from Bulgaria quoted in the
report.
The employment rate for Roma in Hungary is about 12 percent, and in some
Roma villages unemployment is 100 percent.
�Roma have been among the biggest losers in the transition to a market
economy -- often the first laid-off, and then among those most
persistently blocked from re-entering the labor force,� said
Wolfensohhn.
The report also addresses the low health status of many Roma, who live
an average 15 years less than the general population.
Because diverse factors contribute to the poverty of Romas, anti-poverty
efforts must also be multi-layered, and long-term, counsels the report.
�The Roma population is disproportionately young and has been growing
more rapidly than other ethnic groups, due to higher birth rates. If
current demographic trends continue, Roma could become the majority a
over the next 50 to 60 years.'' Dena Ringold, an economist with the
Bank's human development sector unit in Europe and Central Asia (ECA)
and author of the report, said at its release here.
�With this in mind, it is apparent that poverty among the Roma is an
urgent problem and that a sustained commitment over the next decade is
needed,� she added.
The conference, 'Roma in an Expanding Europe: Challenges for the
Future', will take place in Budapest on Jun. 30 and Jul. 1.
Organized by the World Bank and the Open Society Institute, it is
intended to raise public awareness about the economic development
challenges and opportunities facing Roma and to support systematic
policy reforms, especially in education, employment, health and social
protection, according to the Bank.
A Roma Women's Forum will precede the conference on Jun. 29. In
addition, a ''Marketplace� will run parallel to the conference,
providing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), donors, and others
working with Roma a chance to present their activities and network with
others in the field. (DIVERS)
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