Hungarians are asking again for autonomy, using as their argument the Alba Iulia Resolution of 1918. The request comes in the context in which the SDP needs more than ever the DAHR votes, after the coalition lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies.

The theme of the autonomy of Szeklerland was brought back to the DAHR public agenda just two days after the celebration of 100 years since the Great Union, but especially in the context when the SDP -ALDE coalition lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies. Besides, at the turning point of the Social Democrats, the DAHR showed their support, but only after obtaining the promise that SDP would vote projects for the stake of the Hungarian community.

The elected representatives of the party headed by Kelemen Hunor submitted a project in the Parliament on Monday, including “special autonomy”, in regions in which a minority has a significant proportion, in the case of Romania being the counties of Harghita, Covasna and Mures, exactly where the Hungarian ethnic population dominates.

“We believe that in the Centenary, it was time for the principles of interethnic cohabitation to be transposed into law, as formulated in the resolution adopted at the National Assembly:” Full national freedom for all the working peoples. Every nation will be trained, administered and judged in its own language by individuals in its own bosom, and each people will receive a right of representation in the legislative bodies and the government of the country in proportion to the number of individuals that it is made up, for which we have filed this legislative initiative “, the DAHR initiative, which starts from the principles stated in the Resolution of December 1, 1918, when there was a discussion about granting rights to cohabiting populations.

Privileges in elections

However, the DAHR not only demands the autonomy of the Szeklerland, but also other provisions in its favor. First of all, those in the DAHR want the historical minorities to have another treatment in terms of European elections and local elections, to have a number of insured seats that are directly proportional to their percentage of the total population of Romania. That is, in the case of DAHR, 7% of mandates for the European Parliament and a similar percentage in the mandates resulting from local elections.

The initiators thought to make their lives easier in the national electoral competition as well. Thus, by a stipulation of the project, DAHR wants to automatically secure 7% of the seats in Parliament, even if it gets less or if it does not even meet the electoral threshold, currently 5%.

Promotion in magistracy on ethnic grounds

DAHR wants a better representation of ethnic Hungarians and other historical minorities in the courts and prosecutor’s offices attached to them. More specifically, DAHR requests that in the courts and prosecutors’ offices, people from different minorities are hired in a way that it is proportionate in relation to the population of the country. The provision might strike constitutional problems in the sense that the criteria for admission and promotion of those in court and prosecutor’s offices would change, with a differentiated treatment.

DAHR elected officials require that at the level of ministries, as well as in decentralized public services, the employment or appointment of staff, including leadership, should be ensured in proportion to the number of persons belonging to national historical minorities, both in national and local levels. Practically, competitions should also take into account the ethnic criterion, in order to respect proportionality. Bizarre is at least one aspect of the bill. The issue of Hungarian education, a subject often mentioned by the DAHR, is by no means resolved by indicating clear provisions, but is left to a subsequent law.

Why Liviu Dragnea becomes more and more dependent on DAHR

The new offensive of DAHR comes in the context in which the SDP -ALDE lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies, and the immediate position of the president of this forum is immediately jeopardized. The change of Liviu Dragnea from the head of the Chamber of Deputies hangs on one condition: the unification of the Opposition. Victor Ponta, who ruined the SDP -ALDE majority in the Chamber of Deputies, will propose the next few days to change the Chamber of Deputies’ Regulations, so that Liviu Dragnea will no longer be the third man in the state. Here are the steps.

First step: Modification of the Chamber of Deputies Regulations. At the moment, the Regulation says that “the revocation proposal is made in writing by the leader of the parliamentary group who proposed it and to whom the Chamber of Deputies’ chairman belongs.” So, as Dragnea was proposed as president of the SDP group, the whole SDP group must ask for his resignation. But the president of the SDP Group in the Chamber of Deputies is Daniel Suciu, deputy of Bistrita, a branch headed by Radu Moldovan, one of the loyal people to the SDP leader. So, Daniel Suciu will not ask for Dragnea to be changed. What solutions still exist?

Step Two: Former SDP leader Victor Ponta, as a deputy, has announced in September that he will table an amendment regarding the Rules, in order to ease Dragnea’s sting. “For example, a third of the deputies may propose a change of the president,” Ponta said. Two months ago, Ponta just held a speech, without submitting the promised amendment to the Regulatory Commission.

Step Three: According to political sources, Ponta will table the amendment next day. Then the debates will begin in the Chamber of Deputies’ Commission of Rules, headed by Eugen Nicolicea, one of Dragnea’s fiercest supporters. There are 7 members of the Regulatory Commission: one from SDP, ALDE, DAHR, NLP, SRU, NPP and Minorities. The calculations show that the amendment could receive a favorable opinion from the Commission on one condition: the opposition to be united. Practically, if DAHR or national minorities would vote alongside NLP, SRU and NPP, then Ponta’s proposal would reach the plenary with a positive opinion…but the opinion is only advisory.

Step Four: Positive or negative, Ponta’s proposal will reach the plenary table where Dragnea is forced to put it on the agenda sooner or later. At this stage, the vote of the United Opposition is sufficient. But that would mean NLP, SRU, NPP, DAHR and national minorities to vote together. Theoretically, it’s possible. Practically, it is almost impossible, given that the Hungarians were mostly on the SDP side. However, the DAHR votes can be canceled by MPs from the “Putschists” group. Political sources claim that Gabriela Firea, Paul Stanescu, Mihai Tudose and Marian Neacsu are able to control enough parliamentarians to control the Ponta plan to be completed.

Step Five: If the Rules are amended, Dragnea can be immediately dismissed from the position of President of the Chamber of Deputies, so his position at the head of the party will be shaken.

Source: M.adevarul