ROMANIA: Romania delays plan to combine regions after ethnic Hungarian party threatens to withdraw from coalition

Record ID: 785297

  • Title: ROMANIA: Romania delays plan to combine regions after ethnic Hungarian party threatens to withdraw from coalition
  • Date: 28th June 2011
  • Summary: SFANTUL GHEORGHE (180 KM NORTHEAST OF BUCHAREST) ROMANIA (JUNE 24, 2011) (REUTERS) BORDER OF COVASNA COUNTY WITH INSCRIPTIONS IN ROMANIAN AND HUNGARIAN STREET IN THE CENTRE OF THE TOWN PLATE WITH THE NAME OF THE STREET 'PETOFI SANDOR' (HUNGARIAN POET) MAYOR ARPAD ANTAL SITTING AT DESK IN HIS OFFICE CLOSE OF ROMANIA MAPS ON ANTAL'S TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) MAYOR OF SFANTUL GHEORGHE, ARPAD ANTAL, SAYING: "There are two reasons the Hungarian Minority Party (UDMR) can not accept those two offers: one with eight mega counties and another one with eight mega counties plus Harghita plus Covasna. The first reason is an economical one. We all know very well that these developing regions (similar in size and number to the proposed new administrative regions) are not functioning. If they didn't function as regions, they will not function as counties either. On the other hand there is a matter regarding the Hungarian minority. There is a number of international treaties signed by the Romanian parliament which includes also a fact that administrative borders of the counties, where minority populations live, can not be changed, having in mind that this can endanger their rights." BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (JUNE 27, 2011) (REUTERS) WIDE OF ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA, TRAIAN BASESCU, ENTERING PODIUM PRIME MINISTER, EMIL BOC, WITH PART OF THE MINISTERS IN HIS CABINET, LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) ROMANIAN PRESIDENT, TRAIAN BASESCU, SAYING: "Massive restructure of state agencies is necessary. The second important thing, or maybe even more important, is to create space for regional program development. And this is not possible without a county type of administrative organisation." CLOSE OF CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) ROMANIAN PRESIDENT, TRAIAN BASESCU, SAYING: "I will not consider the administrative reorganisation project as an abandoned project, even if, at this moment, the majority has no political consensus." (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) ROMANIAN PRIME MINISTER EMIL BOC, SAYING: "We left open the way to find a political consensus on the level of coalition, so that the administrative reorganisation can be done. Obviously it has benefits regarding funds absorption, costs reduction and the reduction of corruption on the local level. These things can not be denied."
  • Embargoed: 13th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Romania, Romania
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAQCHMKMRAZYGK6DMTQX65515T
  • Story Text: Romania's government on Monday (June 27) postponed plans to set up a new administrative territorial structure, averting a political crisis that could have derailed recovery efforts and an IMF-led aid deal.
    The plan proposed by the ruling Democrat-Liberals (PD-L) of Prime Minister Emil Boc had angered a junior coalition ally, the ethnic Hungarian party (UDMR), which said it was an attempt to weaken their minority by dividing it into smaller units. The reform proposed by President Traian Basescu wants to divide Romania into eight regions rather than 41 counties and the capital. Ethnic Hungarians want a region, called Szeklerland, cut along ethnic lines in central Romania, uniting three counties where they are in the majority.
    The mayor of Sfantul Gheorghe, Arpad Antal, named two reasons for the UDMR not to accept the proposals: "The first reason is an economical one. We all know very well that these developing regions (similar in size and number to the proposed new administrative regions) are not functioning. If they didn't function as regions, they will not function as counties either. On the other hand there is a matter regarding the Hungarian minority. There is a number of international treaties signed by the Romanian parliament which includes also a fact that administrative borders of the counties, where minority populations live, can not be changed, having in mind that this can endanger their rights."
    The three-party coalition of PD-L, UDMR and independents has a fragile but functioning parliamentary majority that allowed it to successfully complete a 20 billion euro bailout led by the International Monetary Fund and strike a new deal.
    Analysts said losing support from the Hungarians would have ignited a political crisis and made it impossible for the government to pass more cost-cutting reforms through parliament.
    Addressing the parliament on Monday, Basescu made clear he was still convinced a massive restructure of the regions was necessary. "The second important thing, or maybe even more important, is to create space for regional program development. And this is not possible without a county type of administrative organisation," he pointed out. "I will not consider the administrative reorganisation project as an abandoned project, even if, at this moment, the majority has no political consensus," Basescu added.
    Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc allowed space for further discussions on the reforms: "We left open the way to find a political consensus on the level of coalition, so that the administrative reorganisation can be done. Obviously it has benefits regarding funds absorption, costs reduction and the reduction of corruption on the local level. These things can not be denied."
    The UMDR made clear they were interested in maintaining political stability. Boc has survived five no-confidence votes over austerity reforms in parliament since mid-2010 thanks to the coalition.
    Boc had unveiled the plan to reorganise Romania's structure into eight, bigger regions by uniting the current 41 counties earlier this month -- a move they say was designed to cut bureaucracy and boost absorption of European Union funds.
    The UDMR objected because the plan would have split the Hungarians -- who make up some seven percent of the total 22 million population -- into bigger administrative units controlled by Romanians. Pensioner Bordas Attillo from Sfantul Gheorghe commented on the current developments calling them foolish. "We want it, we don't want it, we have to live together in this country. We (ethnic Hungarians in Romania) are in the middle of Romania. What can we do? Should I take a backpack with the soil and go to Hungary? And leave everything here? It's foolish," Attilo said. And ethnic Hungarian Zoltan Sebesten from Arcus said he would like the situation to remain as it was.
    "For us (ethnic Hungarians in Romania) it is very good as it was till now. We don't want any change. Counties should remain as they are," Sebesten said.
    Analysts had expected Boc's coalition would eventually find a compromise that would not break the coalition before a parliamentary election due in late 2012.
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