“It is unacceptable that there is regression taking place in Romania with relation to the rights of national communities”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Saturday.

“In contrast to the proposal previously adopted with a parliamentary majority, instead of expanding the rights of minority communities the new Public Administration Code put into force with an emergency regulation by the Bucharest government takes away existing, previously acquired rights”, he pointed out.

“According to the new regulations, a national community could lose the right to use its native language if its ratio falls below 20 percent, whereas the previous regulations guaranteed the protection of acquired rights regardless of any future changes in the ratio of the Hungarian population”, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted.

“Based on the new regulations, we believe Hungarian language official administration at local government offices is also in danger, even in settlements where the ratio of the Hungarian national community exceeds 20 percent”, he added. “Minority rights are protected by international and bilateral regulations, and these must also be respected in Romania”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade underlined.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)