“The ethnic Hungarians living in Romania need to be united, their unitary representation is essential and for us it is clear that this unity should be achieved under the umbrella of the RMDSZ (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania)” - Wilfried Martens, the President of the EPP, declared on Thursday morning in a joint press conference held with Hunor Kelemen, the President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania.

“The EPP Congress organized in Bucharest is of historic importance, as now, for the first time after 20 years, the basic program has been amended and on the recommendation of the RMDSZ a whole new chapter has been inserted on the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities. The political entities of the EPP shape the direction in which the European Union evolves and this is also the course taken by the RMDSZ” – president Hunor Kelemen stated.  

The RMDSZ has done a year and a half of negotiation work to have the protection of the minority rights inserted into the program as a separate chapter; this is a framework agreement that will induce in the future compulsory measures in the member states.

“This is a very important achievement for the RMDSZ, since all the member organizations have endorsed the chapter and they have all supported it. Now we can prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections this fall having in mind the challenges for the next decades ahead. We have good and pragmatic solutions to these issues and now we have opened the door that leads to the creation of a legal framework for the protection of minority rights at EU level” – emphasized Hunor Kelemen

Wilfried Martens emphasized that the RMDSZ has been a loyal member of the EPP ever since the beginnings, an organization committed to the European values and ideals which it successfully represents both in Romania and within the institutions of the European Union.

“The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania has played a very important role within the Romanian Governments, standing its ground especially in the very difficult times between 2009 and 2012 when, together with the Democratic-Liberal Party, the Alliance lead Romania’s way through the economic crisis” - Martens concluded. “This year’s local elections have proved once more that the interests of the ethnic Hungarian community of Romania can effectively be represented by a unitary representation with the ethnic Hungarians closing the ranks behind one single political alliance” – he added.

The president of the EPP also warned against the perils brought about by dissention and internal controversies, suggesting that the community should bear in mind the results achieved so far by the Alliance.
 
“The Hungarian community of Romania now faces an important trial again. I trust that the community will once again close the ranks behind the RMDSZ at the parliamentary elections this fall” Wilfred Martens added, underlining his confidence in President Hunor Kelemen and the Alliance – an organization which has been a member of the largest political family since 1998 and which has had an important contribution to and has invested a lot of work in the development of the new EPP basic program.

RMDSZ president Hunor Kelemen emphasized that the need for economic cooperation defined during the congress should be followed by political cooperation as well.

“The centre-right parties are the heralds of a well functioning European Union, since their decisions always focus on the needs of the people. Each of the documents approved by the congress focuses on the interests of the EU citizens, be they economic or social matters or minority rights” - the RMDSZ president said, who also attended the summit of the European Heads of State and Government.