The Szekler National Council has been struggling for the autonomy of Szeklerland by means of law and democracy for over one and a half decade now. The foundation of this struggle is a bill, which would guarantee the self-governance of the region. We submitted this bill to the parliament of Romania twice, which was rejected both times. The Szekler National Council made numerous steps both domestically, as well as internationally, to draw attention to the will of our community that has Hungarian national identity, and lives in the centre of Romania, on a land spanning through 13.500 km2. The Szekler National Council declared the last Sunday of October to be the Day of Szekler Autonomy. On this day, inhabitants of Szekler cities and villages come together to pray for autonomy, and light watch fires in the evening, reasserting their protest against all aspiration aimed towards the assimilation of Szeklerland, and reaffirming their demand for self determination within the state of Romania. This year, on 29 October, the following declaration was read out on these events:

Through the will of the Szeklers

Today, on 29 October, we Szeklers who have gathered on the Day of Szekler Autonomy, repeatedly declare our will for territorial autonomy. Convinced about the importance of dialogue, and dissatisfied about the conduct of the Romanian government to reject such a dialogue, we strengthen our allegiance to the borders of Szeklerland, consisting of 8 Szekler seats, and 149 municipalities, the borders of which will be finalised by local communities through a referendum.

The earth is shaking in Europe. More and more regions and stateless nations express their will for self-determination. Be it independence, or self-determination within a given state, the international community needs to revise its rigid and obsolete approach to the right to self-determination, according to which this right belongs exclusively to the population of states as a whole.

We demand territorial autonomy for Szeklerland, as set out by the autonomy statute drafted by the Szekler National Council, according to which:

„Szeklerlands territorial autonomy denotes the right and the ability of the Szekler-Hungarian community, to have elected bodies - administratively placed between central government and the local community - enjoying competences of self-governance and public authority for the solution of public problems in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.”

Autonomy for Szeklerland, freedom for the Szekler peoples!

In the name of the communities gathered on the Day of Szekler Autonomy:

Izsák Balázs

President of the Szekler National Council

Szeklerland, 29 October 2017