Con Aron Ballo prende il via la nostra rassegna di brevi interviste alle redazioni dei giornali delle minoranze della "nuova Europa". Ballo ci illustra l'esperienza della comunità di lingua ungherese in Romania.
(in lingua inglese)

Aron Ballo is the editor in chief of Szabadsag, the Hungarian-language newspaper published in Kolozsvar/Cluj, Transylvania (Romania). The newspaper is a member of Midas, the Minority Dailies Association, which has its head office located at the EURAC in Bolzano/Bozen.

Romania has not yet joined the EU, but is on the enlargement waiting list for 2007. Which hopes, fears or doubts does your newspaper express about a growing EU? Despite not being part of the EU, the ethnic minority of Hungarians in Romania is in favor of enlargement. On May 1, 2004, Hungary and two countries with Hungarian speaking minorities, Slovakia and Slovenia, joined the EU25. Entering the EU strengthens the economic development and democratization process within these countries. The stronger Hungary and Hungarian-speaking minorities are within the EU, the stronger the support will be for our minority in Romania.

The President of Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ, a parliamentary umbrella organization of the ethnic Hungarians), Béla Markò, hopes that Hungary will now be able to request EU funding for ethnic Hungarians in Romania. However, Markò is concerned about Hungarian-speaking Romanians emigrating to Hungary for employment.

Transylvanian Hungarian National Council leader (CNMT, and NGO for autonomy of ethnic Hungarians in Romania) and Reform Bishop, László Tõkés, stresses that the EU enlargement is no solution to the minority rights problem. The EU still lacks a well-institutionalized minority protection policy.

How did your newspaper announce the May 1 EU enlargement? There was no May 1 edition due to Labor Day, a Romanian national holiday. Therefore, our newspaper announced the EU enlargement on both April 30 and May 3. The cover page on April 30 included an interview with Hungarian General Consul, Aron Cseh, in Cluj, entitled: "Hungary does not enter, but it returns to Europe on May 1" written by Annamaria Papp.

The title of my editorial on the enlargement was "Greetings to Hungary, as an EU Member". There was an invitation by the Hungarian General Consulate to our readers to celebrate May 1, "Let's celebrate the enlargement together". An article was published on the point of view of ethnic Hungarian political leaders in Romania on Hungary joining the EU. There was an account of the history of the EU as well as the round table talks held on the enlargement by political scientists in Cluj. (pdf)

Our May 3 edition also had a special focus on the enlargement. The cover page article, "Europe's gates turned open. Festivities in Kolozsvar", covered the enlargement celebrations in Cluj. The other articles covered included: the involvement of local ethnic Hungarian politicians in the festivities in Hungary, "People from Kolozsvar celebrated in the motherland"; the enlargement itself, "The greatest enlargement in the history of the EU became true", "25 flags from 25 children in Dublin", "Madl: Ferryboat country landed on the western coast", "EU-phoria in Budapest", "Hundreds of thousands celebrated the enlargement", "GeoanÌ: We are happy for Hungary joining the EU"; facts on the EU anthem, "For everbody's joy. The history of the EU anthem"; Hungary's intention to support the ethnic Hungarian minorities after the enlargement in an interview with Hungarian Parliament enlargement committee President, Istvˆn Szent-Ivˆnyi, "Hungary's support policy would not change"; a round table talk on the enlargement held by political scientists in Cluj, "Brussels has no minority policy. Hungarian political scientists on the enlargement and on bilateral relationships". (pdf)

foto: aron ballo

szabadsag30aprile.pdf (1MB)
szabadsag3maggio.pdf (2MB)
szabadsag3maggio_pag2.pdf (1MB)