The State Secretary for National Policy expressed his protest against the revocation of László Tőkés’s Romanian state decoration which, in his view, clearly fits into the series of actions taken against Hungarian officials and representatives.

Árpád János Potápi said at his press conference held jointly with the President of the Council for Human Dignity in Budapest: no one in the past 25-26 years has called into question László Tőkés’s brave act in consequence of which the Romanian revolution started from Temesvár and one of the cruellest communist dictatorships came to an end. Had it not been for this, we could not speak of a democratic Romania today, he pointed out.

He added: Klaus Iohannis’s deed, the revocation of the decoration, too, is an historic deed, but in a negative sense. This clearly fits into the series of events which have taken place in Romania’s internal politics in the past 1 to 1.5 years. Romania has significantly regressed in a political sense, Hungarian officials and local government representatives are being continuously smeared and accused, and an atmosphere has developed in which Hungarian political actors are finding it increasingly more difficult to enforce their interests. The State Secretary also spoke about the Hungarian response, as part of which László Tőkés was awarded the Legion of Honour, and remarked that other than Mr Tőkés, this award has only been granted to Mrs Tamás Aladárné.

Zoltán Lomnici, President of the Council for Human Dignity took the view that the revocation of the decoration points beyond László Tőkés’s person: it is a message to Hungary and the Hungarian nation, and is at the same time the relativisation of the Romanian revolution. The decision is illegitimate, undignified, shameful, legally questionable and politically motivated, he said in summary. Mr Lomnici highlighted: the role László Tőkés played in the revolution is recognised throughout the world. As a result of this action, the Romanian head of state „has revealed himself to be spineless”. The Hungarian people had faith in him and trusted him, but he did not make any gesture in their direction.

Mr Lomnici reiterated his petition which he submitted with respect to the rights of Hungarians living in Transylvania, and in the wake of which the European Parliament has instituted an investigation. He remarked: the first public hearing will be held in the case on 5 April.

László Tőkés received the Order of the Star of Romania in the knight rank from former Romanian President Traian Basescu in 2009 in recognition of the historical role he played in starting the revolution and the change of regime in Romania in 1989. Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta initiated the revocation of the decoration in 2013 after László Tőkés raised as a Member of the European Parliament that Hungary should assume a role of „protector” in the interest of Transylvania. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis revoked the state decoration on 3 March.

(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)