The UDMR Congress adopted on Saturday unanimous votes that the red, white and green flag is the national symbol of the Hungarian community in Romania, along with the Szekler Land flag, the Hungarian hymn and the Székely Land anthem, the MEDIAFAX correspondent reports.

Senate UDMR Group leader Cseke Attila said in Cluj-Napoca at the UDMR Congress that these national symbols can be used wherever the members of the Hungarian nation live.

“The members of the Hungarian nation are those who consider themselves Hungarian regardless of where they live on this globe, from Tokyo to Toronto, along with those living in the mother country, the Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin and the Hungarian community in Romania. Every nation has its own symbols, so do the Hungarians. These national symbols can be used freely not only in the mother country, but wherever members of this nation live. Thus, the symbol of the Hungarians is the symbol of the Hungarian nation – the red, white, green tricolor, which we consider our own symbol. Also, the national symbol is considered the Szekler flag, but also our national anthem (Hungarian hymn – n.a.) and the Szekler hymn”, Cseke said.

According to him, representatives of the Hungarian community in Romania expect Romania, the EU and the international community to support the possibility of the free use of these symbols.

The draft was unanimously adopted by delegation votes at the UDMR Congress.

UDMR: Good people, accept us to use in full freedom, without sanctions, the Hungarian symbols

UDMR has sent a message to the Romanian society, calling for the acceptance of the Hungarian community to use its free symbols without sanctions, its own symbols, which characterize it and are part of its ethnic identity, the MEDIAFAX correspondent reports.

Asked on Saturday by the MEDIAFAX correspondent at a press conference at the end of the UDMR Congress, why the resolution on the own symbols of the Hungarian community in Romania was needed, Kelemen Hunor said that all local communities that have a local, regional identity, have specific symbols, which is not a drama, but should be normality, the reality.

“Lately there have been unexplained initiatives and judgments by authorities and judges who sanctioned mayors and people who used these symbols, although the law permits it. I believe that in a modern Europe, where interculturality is a reality, the use of Community and national symbols must not be overlooked. We considered to say for the whole society what symbols we want to use in full freedom, without sanctioning the Szeklers who use the red, white, green Hungarian tricolor. It’s a natural gesture. All local communities that have a local, regional identity have specific symbols, it’s not a drama, it should be normality, reality. We wanted to convey to the Romanian society this message and the request, <Good people, accept us to use in full freedom, without sanctions, those symbols that characterize us, define us and belong to our ethnic identity>”, said Kelemen.

He pointed out that until the Szekler banner was attacked and the mayors of Szeklers were not fined, you could rarely see on people’s houses the flag of Szekler Land, but when the fines were applied, solidarity meant that on every house and gate the flag has been flown.

“It is clear what people want and think about these things. The important thing is that we see no problem, the legislation allows, the agreements signed and ratified by Romania allow this, not to mention the common sense”, the leader of the Union added.

Asked further whether the ruling could change the view of the judiciary on sanctioning those using the symbols of the Hungarian community, the EU leader replied that he did not know.

“There are decisions and judgments. A fine by the prefect of Covasna, sanctioning two mayors, was annulled by the court, which was a fair decision. A certain judge said he needed a fine for the flags. There is no unified judicial view at the level of judges. We have to say that we have no hidden goals when talking about the flags and our rights. We are loyal citizens, we pay taxes and we have rights under the Constitution and the signed agreements voted in Parliament”, Kelemen explained.

Asked, next, what steps the UDMR will make on its own symbols, Kelemen Hunor said that the legislation is to be amended.

“Last year and two years ago there were changes, nuances in our legislation, voted in the Romanian Parliament. Probably we are going to make amendments to those laws that, when voted, were clear, the legislator’s intention being clear. These symbols can be used by all ethnic communities. Meanwhile, there have been interpretations of the law, but if we notice that there are problems with the interpretation of the law, it is our duty to amend the law. You don’t have to make someone pay fines who does what, do they hurt someone? Kill someone, take something from someone, from Romanians, from Hungarians? Not. Let us try to enter into normality”, concluded the president of UDMR.

Source: MediaFax (Translation TFP)