Romanian President Tells Ethnic Hungarians They Should Be Proud Of Romanian Citizenship

„March 15 represents Hungary’s National Day, just like Romania’s National Day is a very touching moment for all Romanians wherever they may be. Today’s events celebrate Hungary’s National Day, a memorial day of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, one of the many revolutions across Europe during 1848-1849, and also bring to light once again the aspirations of Hungarians, Romanians and other European nations targeting national modernization and emancipation,” Basescu said in his message made public by the presidential office Monday.

„Although the Revolution of 1848 was suppressed across Europe, its ideals have lingered on throughout the time, as people’s determination and resilience could not be swept away, not even with guns. The Revolution, which broke out on March 15, 1848, met an overwhelming support from people at that time and was strongly upheld by outstanding leaders of that time, who even risked their own lives sometimes, as the case of Hungarian poet Petőfi Sándor,” the message also reads.

The head of state stressed that Hungarians should also be proud of their Romanian citizenship, as Romania is country for all its citizens regardless of ethnicity.

Basescu highlighted that progress has been made over the past 20 years in building a democratic and pluralist society where minorities’ rights are respected and guaranteed even under the Constitution, and most recently, under the Lisbon Treaty of the European Union, which also respects the rights of national minorities.

The head of state also pointed out that the presence of ethnic Hungarians in the Romanian Parliament, at the level of local administrations and even in the Government clearly shows and guarantees that interethnic relations in Romania will be further regarded as normal.

Hungarians’ National Day is celebrated Monday in several counties in Romania’s central region of Transylvania, which has a large ethnic Hungarian population.