To Prime Minister Victor Ponta

Esteemed Prime Minister

On this April the 14th this year, as representative of the citizens’ committee which launched the citizens’ initiative titled “Cohesion Policy for the Equality of Regions and the Sustainability of Regional Cultures”, I’ve requested you to withdraw Romania’s application to intervene in case number T-529/13 of the General Court of the European Union. In Your letter, dated August the 1st You rejected our request, with the claim that the purpose of the intervention is “preventing the extension of EU competence through judrisdictional means to areas that fall under the sovereignty of the Member States, such as the protection of the rights of national minorities”.

Related to this, we would like to stress that:

1. The mentioned initiative concerns the EU’s cohesion policy, not the rights of the national minorities. In this respect, Romania’s intervention is based on an incorrect interpretation of the initiative; therefore the argumentation of the application for intervention is irrelevant.

2. The “extension of EU competence through jurisdictional means” is impossible. Extension of the competences of the EU is possible only by amending the Treaties on the European Union which is beyond the framework of a judicial process, or a citizens’ initiative. The General Court of the European Union may not modify the treaties, therefore Romania’s request to intervene is unnecessary.

3. Back in April, we pointed out in our letter, that our initiative aims to improve the cohesion policies of the EU and the functioning of the Union as well, with a positive impact on preserving Europe’s cultural diversity. In our vision, the success of the concerned initiative is in the interest of every member state, including Romania. From this perspective, it would’ve been reasonable and helpful, if the Romanian Government would interfere on the side of the applicants, rather than the defendant Commission. A contrary approach could only be interpreted as having hidden motives, such as the forced assimilation of the Hungarian communities in Romania, and mainly the Szekler community, that is in majority in Szeklerland.

4. For keeping the DAHR in the government, Mr. Prime Minister, you have made a promise that Romania will not submit her motivation to in another case regarding a citizens’ initiative which indeed does concern the rights of national minorities. Yet, you have already made this step in our case. Such degree of inconsistency before the General Court of the European Union casts doubt on the credibility of the intervening party.

With due respect

Izsák Balázs

President of the Szekler National Council

Targu-Mures/Marosvásárhely, the 14th of August 2014