1.1 million people living in #Romania declare themselves Hungarian. Why is this, and where are they?

In two Romanian regions, Hungarians are a majority (74 & 85% of the pop.)

They're in #Transylvania, in the middle of the #Carpathians. This mountain range divides the Romanian territory.

These Hungarian communities have lived here since this area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary

It’s not the only case. After WWI, #Hungary lost 2/3 of its former territory.

From: https://europeanperspective.substack.com/p/hungarians-in-the-carpathians-european

How was it to grow as a Hungarian in #Romania? I talked with Gabor, 40, from #Transylvania

His grandparents never moved, they were born in #Hungary. But borders did, and that area is now Romania

As a kid, Gabor spoke better Romanian than his grandparents, who struggled to learn. However, the majority of the population of Transylvania has been Romanian since the 19th century

"As kids, we learned each other's language just by playing together. Sports clubs were mixed"

https://europeanperspective.substack.com/p/hungarians-in-the-carpathians-european

Romanians see #Transylvania very differently from Hungarians

105 y. ago, the modern Romanian state was created when Transylvania was added. A time for celebration!

But for #Hungary, the loss of this territory (and others) meant the end of the Kingdom: it's a time of mourning

Relations between the countries are still difficult. Since #Romania entered the EU in 2007 there haven't been bilateral talks

How can we explain the current conflict? We'll see tomorrow

Or here: https://europeanperspective.substack.com/p/hungarians-in-the-carpathians-european

How to explain the conflict between #Hungary and #Romania about #Transylvania? As an *outsider*, I think of it as a cycle

1) Hungarian populations in Romania complain
Romanian law says that a minority above 20% is entitled to special language rights. This is not always implemented

2) Hungary intervenes.
It has a national plan to support Hungarians abroad. Hungary pursues "unification of the nation" (beyond borders). It funds churches, sports and media outlets for Hungarians outside Hungary. They issued passports for the Hungarian minority abroad, and with them, the right to vote.

At this moment, we have "a system in which Hungarians can live their life as it would be in Romania, but in Hungary" (quoted from researcher Tamás Kiss).

4) Way in for nationalism and populism

Hungarian players in the Romanian football league are insulted. The Romanian president once accused Hungary of wanting to reclaim Transylvania. From Hungary, they retorted: "we never said Transylvania was Romanian".

Politicians behaving undiplomatically create a snowball effect in society. This reinforces step 1: Hungarians complain that their situation is not good.

How it is to be a Hungarian living in Slovakia? I talked with Miklós Krivánsky, Hungarian from Košice (Slovakia) to find out

8% of the Slovakian population are Hungarian. In some border cities, over 50%. But numbers are declining

Miklós: "Those who go to study or work in #Hungary never come back"

Also (edited: describing the identity dynamics): "Kids born from Hungarian-Slovak mixed families in #Slovakia might feel more Slovak than Hungarian"

In #Slovakia, it's possible to attend Hungarian-speaking primary and high schools.

There's even one University: J. Selye University (SELYE JÁNOS EGYETEM), offering degrees in Teacher Education, Economics, and Theology.

Hungarians in Slovakia would like to have more independence when it comes to organise education and culture. We're entering now into politics (let's continue tomorrow).

Or you can read the full article at The European Perspective:

https://europeanperspective.substack.com/p/hungarians-in-the-carpathians-european

#Hungary

"Autonomy" means something different in Spain (having certain powers) than in #Slovakia (a region has a plan for its future independence)

This is due to Slovakia's history

(Removed, see next post:"The country itself became autonomous before parting ways with Czechia")

Why is this relevant? #Hungarians living in Southern Slovakia would like "autonomy" over the territories where they are a majority

But they can't say "#autonomy", so they use the word "self-government" instead

#selfgovernment

Is there any self-governed territory that would be a good example?

Miklós Krivánsky: “Not South Tyrol, that would be too much for what Slovakia might concede. But look at Valle d’Aosta. Something similar could work”

Valle d’Aosta is bilingual, French and Italian. It keeps 90% of the taxes it raises. It’s independent of Rome in many topics: tourism (its main source of revenue), water resources, and urban planning

Could #ValledAosta be a good reference for self-governed regions in Europe?

Hungarian minority in #Ukraine: Just 150.000, but issues have implications in the larger political setup

Let's talk nationality and language

Ukraine doesn't recognise dual citizenship. #Hungary has issued passports to their minority. Result: tensions between the countries

Also, delicate situations for individuals

Did you know that a Ukrainian sits in the #EuropeanParliament? Andrea Bocskor, who vows to represent Hungarians living in Ukraine.

There might be a way forward: President Zelenskyy announced the upcoming introduction of multiple citizenship. This is aimed at Ukrainians living abroad, but it could benefit as well Hungarians at home.

About language: Ukraine, since 2017, wants to reduce the use of Russian, and mandates Ukrainian-only teaching from 5th school year. Hungarian was caught in the crossfire.