EFA supports Szekler autonomy in Romania

EFA calls on all European peoples to express their solidarity with the Szeklers by supporting their march for autonomy on Sunday.

On Sunday 27th October the Hungarian-speaking Szekler people of Transylvania will march to demand autonomy for Szeklerland.

Faced with territorial gerrymandering by the state which aims to split Szekler constituencies - thus making them a minority in their own territories, and faced with the continuing lack of recognition and equality for the Hungarian language by the Romanian government, the Szekler national minority are faced with little choice except to call for autonomy if they are to survive as a national community.

Across Europe, stateless nations and national minorities seek justice and democracy by invoking the right to self-determination, either by working for independence such as Scotland and Catalonia, or seeking substantive autonomy such as Flanders enjoys. Such political autonomy, and with independence European internal enlargement, has been proven to be best practice in national minority governance in terms of economic well-being and in allowing the language and culture to thrive.

Sunday 27th October, the march for autonomy

In the Europe of 2013, that ‘respects linguistic and cultural diversity,’ and where people have a right to self-determination, we can no longer sit idly by and see our languages under threat and are voices unheard in State capitals.

The European Free Alliance, representing the stateless nations and national minorities of Europe, therefore call on all European peoples to express their solidarity with the Szeklers by supporting their march for autonomy on Sunday. EFA President, Eric de Foort, stated: "With this march, the Szekler people are calling out to the world. This mass demonstration shows the ambition and determination you have to take more responsibility into your own hands. This demonstration of civic nationalism cannot be ignored and shows that we, the Peoples of Europe, are building a new Europe." The march starts from Háromszék at 12.00. More details HERE.

(source: EFA homepage - www.e-f-a.org)