Lack of Action: Apathy Towards Anti-Hungarian Sentiments in European Parliament
The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has been criticized for its anti-Hungarianism, with little attention and action taken by major European political groups. Political analyst Zsolt Pászkán highlighted this issue, pointing out that Romanian members expressing anti-Hungarian sentiments have not faced criticism from European parliamentary groups.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) recently included AUR MEPs in their group, with Christian Terheş playing a significant role in this decision. Despite not being an AUR member, Terheş led the AUR list in recent elections, indicating the value of his ECR membership for AUR leaders.
Pászkán emphasized that anti-Hungarianism seems to be irrelevant in European politics, with no major political groups taking action against anti-Hungarian remarks. He noted that sensitivity towards minorities does not extend to Hungarians or other European minority national communities.
Regarding AUR’s policy and rhetoric, Pászkán highlighted the lack of concrete policy and pure rhetoric aimed at political gain. He suggested that AUR’s rhetoric may change based on political benefits, especially with upcoming elections.
Pászkán doubted the significant impact of ECR membership on AUR’s popularity in Romania, as figures like Terheş are not well-known and EP activities receive little public attention. He cautioned that ECR membership might detach AUR from Romanian issues, potentially harming the party.
In addition, Pászkán speculated on the potential impact of Diana Şoşoacă’s party joining the EP group around Alternative for Germany (AfD). He suggested that these Western European parties primarily focus on group formation criteria rather than ideological content.
Ultimately, Pászkán implied that Şoşoacă and Lazarus may face short-lived memberships or compromises incompatible with their political goals in Romania, indicating their real objective might be securing well-paid MEP positions.
This analysis underscores the lack of European sensitivity to anti-Hungarianism and the broader challenges Hungarian communities face in gaining political support and recognition within the European Union.
