Romania attacked as "discriminatory" Tuesday a Hungarian plan to grant special rights to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states, warning that it could react by giving similar rights to Romanians outside its territory.
President Ion Iliescu joined Prime Minister Adrian Nastase in condemning the Hungarian plan to help ethnic Magyars left outside Hungary's borders since just after World War I, when the country's present borders were set by the 1920 Trianon Treaty.
An estimated 1.6 million Magyars, or ethnic Hungarians, live in Romania, mainly in the western Transylvania region, the largest such community outside of Hungary. Other large Magyar communities live in Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine.
"This law contains elements which are discriminatory towards Romanians, and could produce unpleasant situations for Romanians of Hungarian extraction," said the head of state.
The plan, currently before parliament in Budapest, proposes granting ethnic Magyars the right to work for three months legally in Hungary, as well as social and health care rights, free university education and training courses.
Hungary is a frontrunner to join the European Union in the next few years and is notably keen to avoid a wave of migration from poorer neighboring states as it prepares to join the bloc.
Prime Minister Adrian Nastase warned on Monday that Romania could do the same for ethnic Romanians living outside the country, if Hungary goes ahead with the plan.
"If the European Union authorizes this law we will think about it also for ethnic Romanians living in neighboring countries," he said, referring to communities in Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine.
The European Union says it is watching the Hungarian draft law closely – BUCHAREST (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
