Southeast Europe

1998:231). The DAHR has been vocal on the subject of various proposed and adopted
pieces of Romanian legislation that are potentially disadvantageous to the Hungarian
minority (see Section 5.2), particularly in the areas of education and public
administration. The recent debate concerning the establishment of a Hungarian
university also indicated the depth of feeling within the community concerning
Hungarian language education.
2. ETHNIC OR NATIONAL IDENTITY
2.1 Describing identity
Hungarians in Romania have a very strong sense of identity. Between November 1996
and November 2000 the DAHR was included in the ruling coalition providing the
minority with a stronger voice than ever before. Now, after the election held in
November 2000, DAHR received 6.8% of the votes, receiving 27 seats in the Chamber
of Deputies and 12 seats in the Senate. Before the election the Romanian Social
Democratic Party (the main political party after the election) and DAHR were talking
about a possible alliance in order to govern the country together. After the election, the
Romanian Social Democratic Party declared that it would form a minority government
and that no governmental alliance would be formed.
At present in Romania the Hungarians’ status as a national minority is clearly
acknowledged by the state and defined in concrete terms in domestic legislation. In
addition, language is a vital part of Hungarian identity in Romania. Education and the
right to use their mother tongue in official situations are therefore extremely important,
and often contentious, issues.
2.1.1 Cultural characteristic(s) differentiating it from the dominant group
The Hungarian minority in Romania has a very strong sense of its own identity. This is
partly due to the proximity of Hungary itself and partly due to intellectual and cultural
traditions dating back to the 19 th century. Given the tumultuous history of Transylvania,
the Hungarians in the region have always been aware of the differences between
themselves and the majority population and, indeed, other minorities. A very different
language, a literary tradition, and a strong sense of their own history have all
contributed to the current sense of difference. Factors such as belonging to western
Christianity and the effects of Hapsburg rule are also considered as playing a role
regarding the differences between Hungarians and Romanians (especially concerning
the Hungarians outside Transylvania). This difference can be best described with the
help of the cleavages. Religiously, all of the Hungarians belong to Western Christianity
(they are Catholics, Reformats, Evangelic, and Unitarians), while Romanians belong to
Eastern Christianity (most of them are Orthodox).
2.1.2 Development of the minority’s awareness of being different
Hungarian nationalism was expressed for the first time in the 18 th century, according to
Verdery (1983) and Breuilly (1994). It developed during the 19 th century, reaching its
apogee in the time of 1848 Revolution. The formation of the modern Hungarian nation
that can be dated from 1848 developed the sense of common belonging among all
Magyars. Even after 1918 when Transylvania was annexed to Romania, Hungarians
from Transylvania remained aware of their distinctiveness and considered themselves
superior. This enabled them to develop a sense of distinctive identity once they became
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