Incident at Romanian Embassy in Budapest fuels tensions with Hungary

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Hungarian Ambassador to Bucharest on Monday, January 15, to give explanations following an incident at the Romanian Embassy in Budapest. A few days ago, members of the Hungarian organization “Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement” covered the emblem of the Embassy of Romania in Budapest with the Szekler flag. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs qualified the gesture as “unacceptable” and made an appeal to the Hungarian authorities to “ensure the inviolability and integrity of the Romanian missions and staff.” “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its concern over the provocative attitude of the Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement, and condemns the occurrence of such incidents aimed at defaming the national symbols. The ministry considers that the execution of such acts by persons or organizations, including those with revisionist programs, is totally unacceptable and contrary to the spirit and provisions of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations,” reads a press release from the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Last week, Romanian prime minister Mihai Tudose had a harsh reaction after the leaders of the three political parties representing the Hungarian minority in Romania, namely UDMR, PCM, and PPTM, signed a joint statement asking for the territorial autonomy of the region known as Szeklerland, in central Romania. He said that if the Szekler flag will fly on institutions in the Szeklerland, “they will all fly next to them.” Many said the PM’s statement was inappropriate as it can be seen as a threat, meaning that the prime minister wants to hang them. This has triggered reactions from Hungarian officials, who said Tudose’s statements are “absolutely unacceptable.” The Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister also summoned Marius Lazurca, the Romanian Ambassador to Budapest, to give explanations. The Szeklerland includes the counties of Harghita and Covasna and part of Mures county, where a lot of Hungarians live. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com (photo source: Marius Pascan on Facebook)