March 15, declared the Day of the Magyars in Romania. The move seen as a ‘gift’ in exchange for UDMR’s support at the non-confidence vote

The Parliament has declared March 15 as the Day of the Magyars in Romania. The decision has been passed in the joint administration and human rights committees in the Senate. Coincidence or not, the decision comes precisely on the day of the negotiations between the PSD-ALDE ruling coalition and UDMR (Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania) to seek support for the non-confidence vote against Grindeanu Cabinet on Wednesday.

The draft law adopted today had been tabled by UDMR on March 15 this year. The deadline when the committees were supposed to come to a decision was June 27.

The bill is waiting for the plenary sitting’s go-ahead.

Digi 24 reported earlier in the day that UDMR is conditioning the vote for the non-confidence motion on adoption of several draft laws targeting the Magyar community in Romania.

And UDMR is also on the verge of scoring other victories for their community in Parliament. Three committees in the Chamber of Deputies have been urgently summoned on Monday to give green light to another major project for the Magyar community, the one related to the extension of using the mother tongue and to the possiblity of flying the Szekler flag.

Criticism against these decisions have flooded the public opinion. In retort, PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea stated that the Social Democrats are not “selling” Transylvania to UDMR, “no piece of land”.

Dragnea yet admitted that there are negotiations in Parliament over the mother tongue use in administration, namely over the number of the inhabitants in a community from which minorities can use their mother tongue.

As for UDMR, chairman Kelemen Hunor said about the motion of censure against Grindeanu Gov’t that “every MP is voting following his/her own conscience“. However, the position of the UDMR lawmakers is quite shaped, as Kelemen revealed they would go by the majority. ” We’ll announce our stance for the motion in due time, but I have already told you the principle: the majority one, which is a democratic principle. Those who obtained majority, if they want to change the Government, they should have this possibility,” Kelemen Hunor said.